


Wine After Whiskey

by orphan_account



Category: Glee
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-16
Updated: 2013-06-05
Packaged: 2017-12-05 10:47:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 31,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/722198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brittany and Santana are broken up but as they say, you never really forget your first love. Brittany tries to move on by dating Sam but no matter what she does, a part of her will always yearn for something...someone else. Santana convinces herself that she and Brittany deserve better. Yet she finds herself unable to forget about the blonde that taught her what love truly meant.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It had been three weeks since Santana and Brittany had spoken to each other. Three weeks since Santana told Brittany that it was better for them to break-up unofficially. Unofficially. Brittany was not only sad she was also confused. What did that even mean she thought. Brittany had played back that moment when Santana told her about the energy exchange the Latina had with another girl. The very thought of another girl with Santana made Brittany mad in ways she never thought possible.

"Hey, Britt. You okay?" asked Sam

The blonde was so caught up in her daydream that she didn't notice Sam sit beside her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Muttered Brittany

Sam gave her a knowing look and took her hand.

"If you ever need someone to talk to, you know I'm here. Right?" whispered Sam

He gave her hand a soft squeeze before walking away towards the rest of the club. Brittany kept her eyes focused on Sam and made it a point to keep him in her line of sight. It was a fact that she and Sam had barely spoken to each other the past two years. But in the weeks after Santana left after graduation, Sam became more and more of a friend to Brittany. When Santana left, a part of Brittany went missing. No one really understood her the way Santana did so when she left, a part of Brittany went too. Others tried to help and comfort her but no one could ever come close. No one but Sam.

"Hey, Brittany!" shouted Artie as he waved his arms around

"Sorry. What's up?" replied Brittany

"We were talking about sectionals," said Tina

"Yeah. We think you should dance again. Most probably a solo unless we can find you a suitable dance partner," added Artie who motioned for her to come to them.

Brittany got up from her seat and walked towards the piano where everyone was huddled. She stopped to stand beside Sugar who was eagerly nodding her head at the proposal of the others.

"Either way, you would do great," said Blaine "Your routine with Mike during Santana's—"

Blaine stopped midsentence after realizing what he just did and what seemed to be a strong kick to his shin from Sam. Brittany automatically froze at the sound of  _ **her**_ name. Everyone in the room gave Blaine an annoyed look even the new kids.

"Way to go, Blaine…" muttered Sam

Brittany took a deep breath and immediately calmed herself.

"Don't be so mean to Blaine, you guys. He can say her name all he wants," said Brittany

"Britt, I really am sorry. It just sorta slipped out", said Blaine.

"Santana and I are grown ups. We broke up. I cried for, like, 2 weeks. I'm okay now," Brittany replied with a smile.

"Are you sure you're okay, Britt?" asked Tina

"Yes! Now can we please go back to discussing how awesome my dancing skills are?" said Brittany

Everyone cheered in agreement and all Brittany could do was smile as Sugar hugged her.

"Woah. What are we celebrating here you guys?" asked Mr. Schuester as he entered the choir room.

"We've all agreed that Brittany do a solo routine during sectionals," replied Artie.

"We figured we do something along the lines of Santana's performance of Valerie," added Blaine.

"That's a great idea, you guys. Brittany, how would you feel about doing a number during sectionals?" asked Mr. Schue

The sound of her name was enough to make Brittany's stomach flutter but at the same time, it was a painful reminder of what she had lost.

"It's gonna be amazing," replied Brittany with a smile.

"Next order of business, then! The school musical! Auditions are until Friday. Artie, any last details?" said Mr. Schue

"Not much, Mr. Schue. But I do wanna tell everyone that I recently watched Grease again and I am now officially a fan boy. Everyone who will be auditioning better bring their A-game tomorrow because I will not go easy on you," replied Artie.

* * *

Brittany really wanted to just go home and hide under her blanket. The truth was she really missed Santana. She didn't care that she had an "energy exchange" with some girl. She didn't care about the distance between them. All Brittany wanted was her best friend back. But that wasn't going to happen because she promised Santana (and Coach Sue) that she would attend class. So Brittany took her books out of her locker and headed for her Physics class.

"Britt, wait up!" shouted Sam as he jogged towards Brittany.

"Hey, you." Said Brittany

"About what happened in glee…."

"Stop right there Sam Evans. Listen, I was a sad panda for weeks. But now it's time for me to start embracing my inner unicorn again…well, inner bicorn"

Sam couldn't help but let out a laugh.

"Hey!" said Brittany as she light nudged Sam on the shoulder "It's my second senior year. It has to be amazing!"

"I totally agree. Anyways, uhm," said Sam as he shifted uncomfortably

Brittany stopped in front of the classroom and turned to Sam.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Brittany, a frown forming on her face

"I was…. I was just wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me. Tonight. At Breadstix." Sam said softly.

"Like on a date?" replied Brittany who could feel her cheeks getting warm

"Yeah…or not. I mean, it's whatever you wanna call it" mumbled Sam

"Sure" replied Brittany

Sam's head shot up and he looked at Brittany who was smiling at him.

"Pick you up at 8 then?" asked Sam

"Alright. It's a date" Brittany replied softly.

Brittany gave Sam a quick kiss on the cheek then headed to her seat.

"Mr. Evans, what on Earth are you doing in the middle of the doorway?" asked Mr. Connors, their Physics teacher.

"Nothing, Mr. Connors. I just couldn't believe we actually get to spend the rest of the year learning the wonders of Physics" Sam chuckled.

His response elicited laughs from a couple of people in the class including Brittany who just so happened to be beside the only available seat in the room.

"I love the enthusiasm, Mr. Evans. Let's hope your enthusiasm gets you through senior year, shall we? Wouldn't want to see you here again next school year." replied Mr. Connors with a knowing grin.

The very mention of senior year made Brittany's heart stop. It was yet another reminder that she didn't graduate last year. That she wasn't good enough. Brittany felt someone hold her hand and was awakened from her momentary loss of control. It was Sam. He was grinning at her and he tightened his hold on her hand. She hated to admit it, but it actually felt nice.

"…today, we'll be talking about the forces between two objects…"

Sam had opened his notebook and began taking down notes but he still hadn't let go of Brittany's hand. Brittany relaxed her hand just to let him know that he could let go of her hand. But he didn't let go of her. He  _wouldn'_ t let go…of  **her**.


	2. Chapter 2

It was nearly midnight but Santana was still in the library studying for an exam. There were still a couple of people in the library and about half of them had made a pass at Santana but she rejected all of them. The scenario was all too painfully familiar for Santana so she closed her book and left. She considered going to bed but she knew she had too much caffeine in her system so she went for a run.

Santana had been running aimlessly for about an hour now trying to clear her mind. She finally stopped and took a couple of minutes to even out her breathing. Santana scanned her surroundings to figure out where she was. She found herself sitting down beneath a tree near the Oval Commons. The Latina couldn't help but remember the last time she was here with Brittany.

* * *

" _Promise me you'll study this time, okay?" Santana said as she hugged her girlfriend tight._

" _I promise. Stop acting like you'll never see me again because you will. I mean, you will come home right?" replied Brittany who was biting her lower lip._

_Santana laughed. She looked at Brittany who seemed genuinely worried. Santana's features softened as she put her arms around the blonde._

" _Of course, I'll go home, silly. Like I said, you are my best friend in the whole world. I LOVE you, Britt. YOU. The distance between us doesn't matter, kay? We're gonna make this work." said Santana_

_Brittany looked up at the brunette with so much hope in her face._

_"You promise?" asked Brittany_

_"Forever and always, babe." Santana whispered softly._

_Brittany hugged Santana tight as both held back tears. Both of them wished they could just stay like that forever. But Santana apprehensively broke their embrace after hearing an announcement calling all freshmen. The Latina linked her pinky with Brittany's and gave her one last kiss before turning around to join the other freshmen._

" _I'll be waiting for you Santana Lopez" Brittany said to herself._

* * *

Santana was caught up in her reminiscing that she didn't notice somebody approaching her.

"I never pegged you for a nature lover, San" said a familiar voice.

Santana looked at the direction from where the voice came from but had to wait for her eyes to adjust to the darkness.

"Quinn?!"

"Mind if I sit down?" asked Quinn

Santana nodded and made room for the blonde.

"What are you doing here?" said Santana

"Love the welcome, San. But I think the better question would be what are  **you**  doing here?" Quinn shot back

Santana rolled her eyes and looked at the blonde.

"It's really good to see you, Q. But this is my school. I kinda have to be here," said Santana

"Have to be? I take it you'd much rather be somewhere else. And judging by the look on your face I'd say you'd much rather be with someone else too."

Santana froze but she kept her eyes glued to the grass. The brunette could feel tears starting to form in her eyes despite her desperate attempts to stop them.

"Santana…." Began Quinn

"Don't you dare, Quinn!" shouted Santana, looking at her friend "Is that why you came out here? To give me some lecture about how a horrible girlfriend I was?! Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Fabray, but I already know. I know I was a horrible girlfriend to her, okay?! I know I fucked up. I….I know." Santana continued, her screams turning into sobs.

"You really did love Brittany, didn't you?" Quinn said softly

Hearing Brittany's name out loud suddenly made everything all too real. They were over. Broken up. Santana could feel the tears falling. For the past three weeks all she did was avoid the problem but this time around, she couldn't. Mainly because Quinn shoved it right in Santana's face. She hated Quinn for it but at the same time she was grateful. For the first time in weeks, Santana allowed herself to cry. She allowed herself to feel, to be vulnerable. She didn't like it but part of her knew that this is what she needed.

"I did… I do." Sobbed Santana

Quinn instinctively put her arms around her best friend. Santana surprisingly found herself falling in to the blonde's embrace.

"San, you did the mature thing" said Quinn

"But you should've seen her face, Q. I broke her heart. I became the kind of person I swore I'd never be," replied Santana

"What do you mean?"

Santana pulled away from Quinn's embrace and wiped away the tears.

"I'm not… I don't exactly have a good track record when it comes to relationships. God knows I'm not good with them. I mean, all through out high school I went around sleeping with guys and ruining relationships-"

"Tell me about it… Oh sorry. Go on" Quinn said softly

Santana couldn't help but roll her eyes and let a small grin form on her face.

"Anyways, part of the reason why I came out was because I told myself I would change… for her. For... B…Brit…Brittany."

Saying her name out loud made Santana feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside but all of that disappeared the second she remembered that Brittany wasn't hers to claim. Not anymore.

"But clearly, old habits die hard" Santana mumbled

Quinn couldn't help but shake her head in disbelief.

"You really don't get it, do you?" Quinn said

Santana looked at her best friend and gave her a confused look.

"You did change, Santana. You changed everything about you, about your life. All for Brittany."

"But…"

"No buts, Santana. You made a mistake. You are only human after all."

Santana smiled and gave Quinn a hug.

"Thanks for this, Fabray. But part of me thinks that there's another angle you're working here." Said Santana as she broke their hug.

Quinn stood up and dusted herself off.

"You're not pregnant again, are you?!" asked Santana whose hand flew to Quinn's stomach.

"I'm not pregnant!" replied Quinn as she pulled Santana up. " I want to go to New York. But my boyfriend won't let me go on my own and he can't go with me so I was wondering…"

Santana wiped away any remnants of her tears and composed herself.

"Hold up. There are so many things wrong with that sentence. First off, what boyfriend?! And second of all, why do you even want to go to New York? Santana scoffed.

"My boyfriend, San. His name is Alex. He's a junior at Yale. He acts. And I want to go to New York because Rachel is there… and Kurt."

"He's an actor? Wanky, Q. Again, why?!"

"He isn't gay, San. I wanna go to New York because I promised Rachel we'd keep in touch. And I hear she's in a rough spot right now…with Finn and all."

"Leave the judging to me, Q. I wanna meet this Alex and give him a proper Lima Heights welcome. As for New York, well, maybe I could go. Maybe a change of scene is what I need"

Quinn clapped her hands in excitement and gave Santana a hug. Santana, as apprehensive as she was with her decision, hugged her friend back.


	3. Chapter 3

"Q, are you sure we're in the right place? This neighborhood seems a bit too shady for Berry and Lady Hummel," said Santana

"Yes, I'm sure. Kurt gave me  _very_ specific instructions," replied Quinn

Santana rolled her eyes and walked behind Quinn in to the lift as they made their way up a huge building.

"So what exactly are you trying to achieve with this visit, Fabray?" asked Santana.

"I already told you. I'm here to visit Rachel," replied Quinn "…and Kurt," the blonde added quickly

Santana eyed her best friend suspiciously but before she got to say anything, the doors opened and Quinn immediately went out and began looking for the apartment.

"You get  _your_  shit together, Fabray." Santana muttered to herself as she stepped out after Quinn.

"It's the door behind you, San. Ring the door bell," said Quinn

Santana rang the doorbell a couple of times and began impatiently tapping her foot.

"Berry! Hummel! Open the damn door!" shouted Santana

"Santana, keep you voice down! You might wake other people!" hushed Quinn as she walked to stand behind the Latina.

Before Santana could answer, the door swung open and a horribly dressed Kurt greeted them.

"It's 7 in the morning on a Sunday. Have a heart will you, Santana?" said Kurt.

"Nice to see you again, Porcelain," replied Santana as she walked past Kurt and in to the apartment."

Quinn gave Kurt a quick hug and entered with him.

"Quinn!" shouted Rachel

All eyes turned to Rachel who was rushing towards the blonde.

"I'm so glad you're here! I've missed you so much," said Rachel as she hugged Quinn.

"I've missed you too, Rach," replied Quinn

"I gotta say, Berry. You're doing a lot better than I expected," said Santana

Rachel released Quinn from her embrace and looked around to see Santana grinning with her hands on her waist.

"I knew that angry voice sounded familiar," laughed Rachel.

Rachel walked over to Santana and found herself stuck in the petite woman's hug with Quinn and Kurt grinning in the background.

"Now I'm beginning to feel uncomfortable," said Santana as she pulled away from Rachel's hug.

Kurt and Quinn motioned for the two to sit down with them in the living room.

"So what do you guys wanna do?" asked Kurt

"I actually have no idea. What do you guys do for fun around here?" replied Quinn

"Well, you guys could go see the sights, watch a show and you know, shop!" said Rachel excitedly.

"I don't know about Quinn but I kinda just wanna forget everything for a few days. Just have fun and let loose" sighed Santana

Rachel's face turned emotional after hearing what Santana said.

"I almost forgot about that. How you holding up?" Rachel said softly.

All eyes turned to Santana who had also gone silent

"I'm coping. It's hard but I really think it's for what's best," Santana replied

Quinn looked at the faces of her friends and remembered that all of them had recently been through a pretty hard break-up. The blonde took a deep breath and put on the biggest smile she could.

"If I knew that you three would just end up being really sad and depressing, I would've just stayed in Yale and watched people get cut from the honors list," joked Quinn

Kurt rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to say something but Santana cut him off.

"Quinn's right. There's no point in us being sad and miserable. We're too young and hot for that."

Rachel stood up and nodded her head in agreement.

"They're right, Kurt. We're in New York City for Christ's sake! I say we go out and experience life in the best city in the world!" said Rachel

"I cannot believe I'm saying this but I agree with Berry," added Santana

Kurt let out a dramatic sigh and looked at his friends.

"Only if you promise that we'll stop by Serendipity before we head back"

The three girls laughed and nodded their heads.

"Aright then! I'm just gonna go and freshen up," said Quinn.

"I'll go with you," said Rachel as she walked with Quinn

"And I'm gonna go change. I look terrible," said Kurt.

Santana found herself all alone in the living room so she took this time to check her phone. The brunette scrolled through her messages. Still no message from Brittany. Santana scrolled through her contact list and stopped when she saw her name. She clicked on the name, revealing a picture of the brunette kissing Brittany on the cheek.

"You should just call her, you know," Rachel said softly.

Santana looked up and saw that Rachel had apparently walked in to the living room without her noticing.

"I mean it, Santana. I went to McKinley a few weeks back and I saw her. Brittany. Her eyes were bloodshot red and puffy. She looked…she looked so broken. I've never-"

"Stop right there, Rach—"

"She thinks you hate her," Rachel said quickly.

"What?!" Santana said in shock

"Yeah. I talked to her to see if there was anything I could do to help. She told me that the only logical reason for you to break-up with her and ignore her was because you hated her and didn't want her anymore," Rachel replied softly.

Santana fell back to her seat and just sat there in disbelief.

" _ **Brittany thinks I hate her?! I couldn't…I wouldn't.. What did I do?!."**_ Santana thought to herself

Before either of them could say or do anything, Quinn and Kurt walked back in to the living room.

"You guys ready?" asked Kurt

He and Quinn exchanged looks then turned to Santana and Rachel who were both extremely silent. Santana quickly shifted her gaze from the table to meet Rachel's and the two exchanged a silent conversation…a silent understanding.

"Yeah. Guess the lack of sleep is finally getting to me," Santana shrugged.

Quinn eyed her best friend suspiciously but let the matter drop. She would figure it out eventually, the blonde thought. Kurt and Quinn walked towards the door arm in arm followed by Rachel. Santana grabbed her phone and followed behind.

"Please don't tell the others," Santana whispered to Rachel quickly before rushing to Quinn's side.

Santana linked her arm around Quinn's and looked back at Rachel who gave her a soft nod. The Latina actually found herself giving Rachel a grateful smile.

"Rachel, hurry up!" shouted Santana

Rachel walked faster and stood beside Santana.

"Wait a minute. Did you just call her Rachel?! What's gotten in to you?" Kurt asked suspiciously.

"Well,  _Kurt_ , let me tell you a story. A couple of weeks before graduation, this dwarf of a Jewish girl walked up to me and asked if we could be friends and for some strange reason, I decided to say yes," replied Santana

Rachel and Quinn laughed while Kurt, though he rolled his eyes, couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. Santana grinned to herself and linked her arm with Rachel's. And for the first time since the break-up, she didn't feel completely alone.


	4. Chapter 4

Brittany had spent the last hour trying to figure out what she was going to wear for her date with Sam. She normally didn't put that much effort in to dressing up for dates but for some reason, she felt the need to look nice and impress Sam.

"What do you think, Tubbs? Too much?" asked Brittany

She faced her pet cat Lord Tubbington and pointed to her outfit. She was wearing a tank top with a sheer blouse on top matched with skinny jeans and high tops. The fluffy cat simply meowed and stared blankly at her. Brittany let out a disgruntled moan and fell to her bed.

"Since when did dating become this hard?" Brittany muttered to herself

Someone knocked on her door and Brittany stood right up.

"Britt? Sam is here!" said Susan Pierce as she opened the door

"Oh. Thanks, mom!" replied Brittany as she rushed past her mom and down the stairs.

When Brittany arrived downstairs, she found Sam playing dolls with her little sister Bianca. The way Sam played with Bianca reminded her so much of the times Santana had played with the younger blonde but Brittany pushed away the memory.

"Hey," said Sam as soon as he caught sight of Brittany

"Should we go?" replied Brittany

"Do you kids really have to go?" asked Henry Pierce as he entered the living room "Why don't you stay for dinner?" he continued

"That's really kind of you, Mr. Pierce. But I'll let Britt decide what she wants to do" Sam replied politely

Henry Pierce turned to his daughter and made a pouty face.

"Dad…" sighed Brittany

"Oh come on, Bee. We rarely get to eat together as a family anymore"

Brittany let out a sigh and looked at Sam who was just grinning from the sidelines. She turned to her dad and gave a soft nod.

"Only if you guys promise that you won't show Sam any of our photo albums"

Her dad's grin turned in to a full-blown smile as he led them in to the dining room.

* * *

Halfway through dinner, Brittany felt dumb for even worrying about her family would take to Sam. He was a nice guy and her parents could tell.

"Sam, Brittany tells me that you're family moved to Columbus last year," said Mr. Pierce

"Yeah. But Finn and Rachel convinced me to come back for glee club and I've been living at the Hummel's since. Finn and I are actually pretty close so Mr. and Mrs. Hummel were cool with it," replied Sam

"Well, if you ever find yourself in a tight spot, know that we're here for you, son" said Mr. Pierce

Sam nodded politely and gave Brittany's dad a grateful smile. All through out dinner, Sam and Brittany kept exchanging looks. With each look, Brittany could feel her cheek get warmer and warmer.

* * *

When dinner ended, Brittany thought that she and Sam could finally get some alone time. But to her dismay, her parents insisted that they all eat desert in the living room while going through old photographs. Bianca took charge of showing Sam all of their old family pictures and was flanked by Brittany and Sam on each side. The three of them sat down on the carpet and leaned against the sofa. Somewhere through Bianca's storytelling, Sam had managed to put his arm around and over the younger Pierce and had gotten hold of Brittany's hand. After what felt like a few minutes, Sam felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He looked at the message. It was from Finn.

_Finn Hudson: "Bro, it's nearly 11pm. Don't tell me you're staying over at Britt's"_

Sam let out a chuckle and replied to his friend.

_Sammy Evans: LOL. Not that kind of date, dude. Be home in 20._

Sam got up and turned to Mr. and Mrs. Pierce who were listening on the sidelines.

"Mrs. Pierce, thank you so much for that wonderful dinner. It was hands down, one of the best dinners I've ever had in my entire life," said Sam as he gave Susan a hug. "Mr. Pierce, very nice to meet you, sir"

"Great meeting you too, Sam" replied Mr. Pierce as he shook Sam's hand

Sam turned to find Brittany standing beside him.

"I'll go walk him out," said Brittany

"No! I don't want Sam to go!" shouted Bianca

"No worries, lil buddy. I'll be back soon," grinned Sam

Mrs. Pierce walked over to where Bianca was and carried her up to her room.

* * *

"Thanks for being so cool tonight. Not many people make it through an entire night with my family," said Brittany

"No problem. I had fun tonight, Britt," replied Sam

"Me too," Brittany said softly

Sam slowly leaned in as he put on hand on Brittany's waist, pulling her closer to him. Brittany closed her eyes as she felt Sam's lips on hers. The kiss was different from what she was used to. Sam's kiss was soft and slow. He tasted sweet… like  _ **wine.**_ Brittany had only ever had wine once but she was sure that Sam tasted just like it. After a few more moments, the two pulled away from each other; each wearing a small mischievous grin.

"See you tomorrow," whispered Sam

He gave her one last kiss on the cheek before turning around and walking away.

* * *

Brittany was still flushed from her kiss with Sam when she heard her little sister calling her.

"Britt? Do you mind tucking me in?"

"Sure thing, little Bee," replied Brittany

Bianca took her sister's hand and led Brittany to her room. Bianca jumped in to her bed then Brittany pulled the sheets over the younger blonde and kissed Bianca's forehead.

"I really like Sam. He's nice," said the little one

"I really like him too" replied Brittany

Just as Brittany was about to turn off the lamp beside Bianca's bed, the younger Pierce spoke up apprehensively.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"What's up?"

"Where's Santana? She told me she would visit even after she graduates and I haven't seen her in forever"

"She's busy with college stuff," mumbled Brittany

"Oh," Bianca frowned "I miss her"

Brittany couldn't help but let a few tears drop. It was then that she realized just how big a part Santana had played in her life.

"Yeah, I miss her too" Brittany said softly

Bianca reached out from under her blanket and wiped the tears off of Brittany's face.

"Don't be sad. I hate it when you're sad"

Brittany couldn't help but laugh at the similarity between her and Bianca.

"Santana will come back. She'll come back home. To you. Just wait."

Brittany felt a pang of pain shoot through her entire body.

" **She won't. I lost her. She's gone. Forever."** Brittany thought

She just forced a smile and kissed her sister on the forehead.

Britt got up and went to her room. She opened her laptop and went on iChat. Sam had left a message saying he had fun tonight and wanted to go on another date. Brittany felt a bit of guilt creep up her spine.

" **It's not cheating. Santana said we could date other people,"**  Brittany thought to herself

She closed the window and scrolled through her contacts list until she found what she was looking for.

_**Santana Lopez** _

_**UNAVAILABLE** _

Brittany just laid on her bed staring at her laptop. After a few minutes, the screen turned black and her screensaver went on. Pictures of her and Santana started playing via slideshow. Brittany felt tears streaming down her face but she just laid there. Brittany looked intently at the brunette who even in pictures managed to make her heart race. Brittany closed her eyes and put her arms around herself.

"I love you, Santana," sobbed Brittany

She opened her eyes and looked at the Latina's face starting right back at her.

"Please say you love me back," the blonde sobbed softly

Nothing…nothing but silence. Brittany cried even harder. She cried because she would never hear those words. She cried for all the things that she should've done, she should've said but didn't. But above all, she cried for all the things that could have been but now, never will. Despite the fact that people who loved and adored her surrounded her, Brittany had never felt more alone in her life.

When she finally opened her eyes, Brittany found herself looking in to a set of familiar dark brown eyes that showed a mix of emotions. Regret. Pain. Guilt. Worry. Anger.

"Britt?"

Brittany felt her throat constrict. She opened her mouth but words failed her. She bit her lower lip and tried again.

"San… Santana?"

 


	5. Chapter 5

Brittany wiped her tears away and leaned in closer to the screen.

"Britt, are you okay?" asked Santana

"Yeah…"

Santana gave the blonde a knowing look obviously unconvinced by Britt's answer.

"It's just that, you were crying and hugging yourself," Santana said softly

For some odd reason, Brittany felt better and worse at the same time. Better because Santana still cared, worse because Santana wasn't there to hold her.

"I'm fine. I've been having a bad week. Nightmares and Coach Sue are exactly a good combination," the blonde replied

Brittany forced a smile and just shrugged it off. Santana sighed. The Latina could tell that Brittany was hiding something and didn't like the feeling of not knowing what was going on in the blonde's head.

"Why…why are you talking to me?" Brittany asked softly

Santana met Brittany's gaze and saw the pain in the blonde's words.

 **She really does think I hate her** , Santana thought

"Because you're my best friend," she replied.

Brittany's eyes shifted their focus from Santana's eyes to her wrist where the brunette was twiddling with a bracelet. The Latina noticed Brittany's eyes shift and realized the blonde was looking at her hands or more specifically, her bracelet. It was the friendship bracelet she and Brittany shared. Up until that moment Santana didn't even realize that she was wearing the bracelet. As far as the brunette knew, she had hidden every thing that was related to Brittany because it was too painful a reminder of what they shared.

"What's bothering you?" mumbled Brittany

"What?"

"There's something bothering you. Your hands start doing stuff like playing around with your bracelet when something's bothering you. I wanna know what it is," said Brittany

Santana couldn't help but smile at what Brittany said.

"I've missed you," Santana said softly

Brittany looked up and met Santana's gaze. They smiled. The two remained quiet because there was no need for words. It had always been this way with the two of them. Other people needed so many words to be able to understand each other but with Brittany and Santana, all they needed was one look. One look and an entire conversation would have taken place between them. One look and everything was right again.

Before Brittany could respond, the lights in Santana's place came on and a voice called out to the brunette.

"San? What the hell are you doing?"

"Go back to bed, Quinn," said Santana

"Quinn?!" exclaimed Brittany

Quinn walked over to where Santana was sitting and looked at the screen.

"Britt! Oh my God! I've missed you so much," said Quinn as soon as she caught sight of her friend

"Quinn! How've you been? Is Yale really pretty? Wait. What are you doing in Louisville with Santana?" said Brittany

"We're in New York. I wanted to visit Rachel and Kurt so I asked Santana if she could come with me," replied Quinn

"Aww, that's nice. Come visit McKinley next! I really miss you guys," said Brittany

"Sure thing, Britt,"

Quinn and Santana exchanged looks then the blonde turned to face Brittany on the screen.

"It was really good talking to you again, Britt. But I'm gonna go back to bed," said Quinn as she waved goodbye

She gave Santana's shoulder one last squeeze and left.

* * *

"So what is bothering you?" asked Brittany as soon as the other blonde was out of sight

"Rachel told me that she saw you in McKinley a few weeks ago," Santana said

Brittany nodded, remembering her short encounter with Rachel a few weeks ago.

"She told me that you think I hate you," Santana continued softly.

Brittany's face darkened.

"Do you?" she said softly

"Of course not!" Santana replied, "You're my best friend, Britt. Dating or not, I don't ever wanna lose you"

"I don't ever wanna lose you too," the blonde replied with a smile

Brittany froze for a second then retracted her smile, confusing Santana.

"I didn't mean it like that, San. I don't love you… No, wait. I do love you. I…I…"

"It's okay, Britt. I know what you mean."

Brittany sighed in relief. She really wanted to have Santana back in her life.

"I'm sorry. I'm not good with words," Brittany mumbled shyly

"But you're good with other things," Santana said encouragingly

"Like being your best friend?" Brittany asked with a grin

"Like being my best friend," Santana replied with a smile.

Both of them weren't good with words and they knew that. This would've been a problem for normal relationships but what Brittany and Santana had was far from normal. They had clicked with one another ever since the start. There was no awkward beginning with the two of them. They just happened like they were meant to be. Like God had laid a hand. So when the two of them began understanding each other without words, they just went with it. They had no clue how or why it happened, it just did.

All of a sudden, another window opened up on Brittany's laptop making the blonde jump. It was Sam.

_Sam Evans: Hey, Britt. Uhm, about tonight. I know it's our first date and all but I was thinking, if we're gonna do this. Do you mind if we date exclusively? You don't have to answer right now but I just thought I should tell you. It'd be totally cool though if you're not up for it._

Brittany froze. Her eyes shifted from Sam's message to Santana whose smile had vanished.

"Britt, are you okay?" Santana asked cautiously

"Sam kissed me," Brittany blurted out

* * *

Santana felt her heart skip a beat.

 **We broke up. Of course Sam would kiss Brittany. It made sense. Brittany's extremely hot. Guys would obviously be falling head over heels for her,**  Santana thought to herself

But all logic aside, Santana felt her chest tighten. But she ignored the anger building up inside her. She pushed aside the jealousy that was creeping up her spine. Santana looked at Brittany who was on the verge of tears.

"Britt, it's fine," Santana said stiffly "I said that we could go and date other people. It's fine," she continued

"Are you sure? You're not mad or anything?" Brittany asked

"Yeah. It's fine… I'm fine." Santana said

Brittany just looked at the brunette with sad eyes

"You're not gonna leave again, are you? I mean, always be best friends, right?" said Brittany

"Forever and always, babe," Santana replied softly

Brittany gave her a grateful smile, a smile the brunette had seen so many times before yet somewhere in the back of Santana's head, something was telling her that this smile was different.

* * *

[in NYC]

_**Forever and always, babe** _

The words resonated inside Santana's head. Those were the last words Santana said to Brittany before going to college. They were in the Oval Commons saying their last goodbyes before Santana's freshman orientations. Brittany made Santana promise that they would make their relationship work and that they would be together.  **Forever and always.** But that was seven months ago. Things were a bit more complicated now and Santana knew that. She also knows that being Brittany's best friend again would make things even more complicated but she didn't care. Santana replayed their conversation in her head.

" _You're not gonna leave again, are you? I mean, always be best friends, right?" said Brittany_

" _Forever and always, babe," Santana replied softly_

She was gonna make this work. It didn't matter that Brittany wasn't hers anymore. It was better that way, after all. Santana just wasn't good for Brittany. Brittany was innocent and pure. She represents everything good on this planet. Santana was the exact opposite of that. She was damaged, harsh and had done one too many bad things. But at the same time, Santana knew that she couldn't live without Brittany in her life. So just to have even a part of her, no matter how small, was enough for Santana. If what Brittany needed was her best friend, then Santana was gonna be there for her. She wasn't gonna let Brittany down. Not again.

* * *

[in Lima]

_**Forever and always, babe** _

The words resonated in Brittany's head. Those were the last words Santana said to her before going to college. They were in the Oval Commons saying their last goodbyes before Santana's freshman orientations. She made Santana promise that they would make their relationship work and that they would be together.  **Forever and always.**  But that was seven months ago. And seven months ago, Santana would've lashed out on anyone who even thought about kissing Brittany. And now it seemed like she didn't even care. At least that's what Brittany thought as she stared at Sam's message.

 **Santana's my best friend. Of course she's cared, just not the way she used to,** Brittany thought to herself.

Hesitantly, she began to type.

Brittany S. Pierce: Sure.

A few moments later, Sam replied.

_Sam Evans:_ _For real? This is so awesome! I was really worried for a while there._

Brittany S. Pierce: Yes, for real. But would it be okay if we take things slow? I really don't wanna rush in to anything right now.

_Sam Evans: Absolutely._

_Sam Evans: Finn's bugging me to go to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow in school. Night, babe._

_**Sam Evans is offline.** _

Brittany closed her laptop and lied down on her bed. Things were back to normal. She was dating Sam, who was one of the hottest guys in school. Santana was her best friend again. She should be happy. But Brittany felt that something was still missing. Like a part of her was missing. She thought having Santana back in her life would fix it but it didn't. Brittany shrugged it off and went to sleep. For the first time in a long time, the nightmares would not come. She went in to the night knowing that tomorrow would be better, that she wasn't alone, that she was loved.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Brittany was awakened by the sound of her sister knocking on the door.

"Brittany! Get up! Mom says breakfast is almost ready!" shouted Bianca as she jumped on Brittany's bed

"Ugh. 5 more minutes," groaned Brittany

The older blonde grabbed a pillow and threw it at Bianca who graciously dodged it. Bianca noticed her sister's phone buzzing on the nightstand. Bianca took the phone and checked who was calling. As soon as she read the name, a huge smile formed on her face and she accepted the call.

"Santana!" shouted Bianca

Brittany shot up at the sound of Santana's name. She looked around her room and found Bianca talking to someone on her phone.

"Bianca? Where's your sister?" asked Santana

"She just woke up," Bianca replied, catching sight of her sister eyeing her from her bed. "I've missed you so, so much. When are you coming back to visit me?"

"I've missed you too, little Bee. As for when exactly, I'm not sure. But I'll visit real soon. We can even go out for ice cream when I get back," replied Santana

"Yey! So, uh, do you want to talk to my sister?"

"Yeah. Could you hand her the phone?"

Bianca held out the phone to Brittany who was already leading her out the room. Brittany shut the door behind her and locked it.

"San?"

"There you are! I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"No, my mom actually sent Bianca to wake me up."

"Oh good. I remember you telling me that your mom always makes Saturday breakfast at around 8:30 so I wanted to catch you before then."

Brittany couldn't help but smile. Despite the fact they weren't together anymore, Santana still seems to remember every little thing Brittany had ever told her.

"Aww, so what's up?"

"Nothing much. We're grabbing breakfast from Serendipity. You know, the place in the movie with Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack. The food here is crazy expensive so it better be worth it," replied Santana "After that, we're going with Kurt to some shoot for "

"That seems like a lot of fun. I wish I were with you guys," Brittany replied a

little too softly.

"I wish you were here to, Britt Britt," Santana said softly "Anyways, uhm, I wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"For letting me be your best friend again and for being mine," Santana said

Brittany could hear the sincerity in the girl's voice. But at the same time she hinted a note of shyness. She could picture Santana standing before her. Santana's chocolate locks falling perfectly to frame her face, her dark brown eyes looking lovingly at her conveying so much more emotion that the Latina could ever let on.

"Anytime, San. And besides, I really like it when we're not fighting and things aren't weird between us. I mean, this isn't weird is it?"

Santana smiled. She saw Quinn Kurt eyeing her suspiciously but she just waved them off.

"No, it's not. Oh and, I really it too"

"So, uhh, how long are you gonna be in New York?" asked Brittany

"Just until tomorrow. Afterwards, Q and I will be going to New Haven. I'll be staying there for the weekend then I'm headed back to Louisville"

"When are you gonna go back to Lima?" Brittany asked hesitantly

"I'll probably be back for Thanksgiving," replied Santana

"Oh…"

Brittany let out a sigh. She really wanted to see Santana again. She missed their sweet lady kisses but what Brittany really wanted was Santana. Just Santana. But Thanksgiving seemed so far away. Santana must have sensed that something was wrong because her tone softened when she spoke.

"Thanksgiving isn't that far away, you know," Santana cooed

"Yeah, I know. It's just that Bianca keeps bugging me about you," Brittany replied nonchalantly as a part of her attempt to hide her disappointment. "Anyways, I should probably go get ready. You know how Artie gets when someone's late for rehearsals," Brittany continued.

"Why do you guys have practice on a Saturday?" asked a confused Santana

"We have rehearsals for the school musical. We're going Grease this year and there's a lot of dancing so Artie asked me and Mike to take charge of choreography."

"Grease, huh? That would've been fun!"

"Did someone say Grease?" someone said in the background

"It's Kurt. Hold on, Britt. Let me put you on speaker"

"Brittany! What's this talk about Grease?" asked Kurt

"We're gonna be doing Grease for the school musical. Some new kid named that kinda looks like Justin Bieber got the lead except he looks less like a woman."

Kurt and Santana laughed at Brittany's comment. The blonde could almost imagine Santana's eyes rolling as the cutest grin appeared on her face.

"So when is it?" asked Kurt

"Yeah. Maybe I can go home and watch the show," Quinn piped in

"Quinn! It's really weird hearing all of you talk about things that involve murdering someone…or each other," joked Brittany

"Don't be so sure, Britt. Kurt here has been trying to set Santana up with some girl fr—" Quinn stopped midsentence after getting a very strong but subtle kick to the shin from Santana.

"Hey, if you must know, Dianna is a very nice person," Kurt cut in

"Yeah, well, I don't think anyone who spends that much time with you and claims to be sane isn't my type," Santana replied casually

Brittany didn't quite understand why but she suddenly had the need to punch Kurt and Dianna, a woman she'd never met in her life. She began imagining some random woman giving Santana sweet lady kisses and touching Santana in places only she had ever touched. Quinn who, by the slapping sound in the background, hit either Kurt or Santana cut her anger infused daydream short.

"Quit it you guys. Britt, when's the musical?" said Quinn

"It's three weeks from now," mumbled Brittany

Quinn quickly scrolled through her calendar and created a note.

"I have an English exam on that day but I'm pretty sure I can make it to Lima on time," said Quinn

"I'm still gonna think about it. Oh and you know, convince Rachel to come with me," Kurt said, "What about you, Santana?" he added

Brittany felt her heart stop as she waited for the Latina's answer.

"We have cheer practice that weekend. But I'll try to be there"

It was then that Brittany realized that she hadn't breathed since Kurt asked the question.

" **She said she'd try. I might get to see her. In three weeks."** Brittany thought to herself

"Anyways, we gotta go. It was really nice talking to you, Britt," said Kurt

"See you soon, Britt," chimed Quinn

Santana turned off the loud speaker and held the phone to her ear

"I'll talk to you soon, Britt. Good luck with rehearsals," said Santana

"Thanks. Talk to you soon," replied Brittany

* * *

"Hey, Britt. What took you so long?" asked Susan Pierce

Brittany walked over to her mom and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"She was talking with Santana," answered Bianca

Henry and Susan exchanged looks before Henry gave his wife a small nod and turned to Bianca

"Hey, little B. Why don't you go to the living room and watch some cartoons while you eat your breakfast?" said Henry Pierce

Brittany stood up with her plate to follow her sister but her mom grabbed her arm and motioned for her to stay.

"Mom, did I do something wrong?" asked Brittany

"What's going on between you and Santana?" asked Susan

"Nothing. San's my best friend," Brittany replied flatly

"Alright… but you weren't always just best friends," Susan said slowly

"Yeah. Santana used to be my girlfriend and now she's not but we're still best friends," Brittany replied, hiding any hint of pain in her voice

"And both of you are okay with that?" Henry asked cautiously

"Yes"

"Are you sure" Henry and Susan said in unison

"I mean, it hurts every now and then especially during Fridays because that was our date night. But it's okay because Santana is happy and I have Sam."

"Sam?" asked Susan

"We're dating now. He's really cute and he's always nice to me. When Santana left for college and I was feeling alone, Sam would always be the one to cheer me up. He always sort of knew what to say. I think it's because we're both blondes." Brittany replied with a small smile

"What does Santana think about this?" Henry asked

"She just wants me to be happy."

"And are you? Are you happy, Britt?"

"Yes. I mean, I didn't think I could ever be happy again after Santana and I broke up but I guess I was wrong because I am happy."

Henry gave his wife one last look before turning to his daughter.

"Alright then. Whatever makes you happy, sweetheart," smiled Henry

Henry pulled Brittany in for a hug and kissed her on the forehead.

"I should probably get going. Don't wanna be late for that meeting," said Henry.

* * *

Susan and Brittany bid him goodbye as they joined Bianca in the living room. Brittany sat down on the carpet, eating a bowl of Lucky Charms as she watched television.

Susan Pierce watched her daughter intently. She knew for a fact that Brittany was in love with Santana. Brittany herself had told her so. That, and Susan had been aware of that fact before the two girls knew it themselves. At first Susan thought that she was just imagining things, after all, Brittany and Santana were best friends. But as time passed by and the two girls got older, it became clearer and clearer that Santana and Brittany not only loved each other. They were in love with each other. Susan told her husband about her suspicions about Brittany and Santana which her husband thought were incredulous.

However after giving it some more thought, Henry himself noticed the little things that Brittany and Santana did. The way they would link their pinkies and give each other loving looks, the look of adoration that Santana had on he ace when she looked at Brittany or the way they moved around each other with such grace without even trying, in the same way a sunflower moves with the sun. It was then Henry realized that what Brittany and Santana had was everything but ordinary. Why the two broke up was a question Henry and Susan desperately wanted answered but they knew they couldn't force Brittany to tell them. So as Henry drove to work, he thought of the times he had seen Brittany and Santana together. One time, he caught the two of them looking at each other, meeting one another's gaze. It was a very simple and innocent act. But upon seeing the look on Brittany and Santana's faces, Henry couldn't help but turn away feeling he had intruded on a very intimate moment. He pictured the smile Brittany had on her face, a smile he hasn't seen in quite a while. Then in one sweeping moment, everything felt right.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexy times. BE WARNED.

Brittany could feel her mom watching her. She knew that her mom was trying not to make it seem like she wasn't but Brittany could tell. She was used to people staring at her. They tried to hide it just like her mom but Brittany had a way of telling when people were lying. She looked at the clock on the wall behind her and got up.

"I have rehearsals for the musical. I'll be back in time for dinner," said Brittany.

"Sure thing, sweetie. Be safe, dear," Mrs. Pierce smiled

Brittany left the dishes in the kitchen then went up to her room. She checked her phone and saw that she had a message from Santana.

_**"Saw it in a store and I knew I had to get it for you!"** _

Brittany opened the attachment, which revealed a picture of Santana hugging a bear holding half a heart. Brittany smiled. It was the other half to the bear Santana had given her a couple of years ago.

**"OMG! Thank you so much, San!"**

Brittany hit send then put her phone down on her bed. She took a quick shower then put on a pair of sweats and a tank top under an oversized sheer top. When she got out of her house, she saw Sam leaning on a truck.

* * *

"Hey there, stranger," Sam called out

Brittany walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"What are you doing here?" asked Brittany

" I came to pick you up. One of the many perks of being exclusive," Sam replied with a grin as he held the door open for Brittany

Brittany simply smiled at the boy as she got in the truck.

"When did you get a truck?"

"I've been saving up for one since I got back. It's second hand but Burt helped me fix it up in his store."

"Oh cool"

They rode in silence for the first few minutes. Brittany wasn't one to shy away from silence but for some weird reason, she felt extremely uncomfortable. She plugged in her iPod to the car's radio and hit shuffle. Every now and then, Brittany would catch Sam looking at her with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Why do you keep looking at me?" Brittany finally asks

"Nothing. You're acting all nervous and fidgety. It's adorable."

Brittany let out a small chuckle and focused on the music.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Sam asked.

Brittany faces him with a confused look. Sam points to her hand that was fiddling with her bracelet. Brittany abruptly parts her hands and gives Sam a bashful smile.

"It's fine. I actually think it's cute," Sam smiled "Where'd you get that bracelet?"

"It's a friendship bracelet. Santana gave it to me. We both have one"

Brittany noticed Sam stiffen up at the sound of Santana's name.

"Oh, how is she?" Sam asked

"She's in New York. She and Quinn visited Rachel and Kurt," Brittany answered almost too sadly

"You guys talked?!"

"Yeah. San and I are best friends," Brittany replied matter-of-factly

"Oh. So, uhm, have you told her….about…" Sam said awkwardly

"Us dating? Yeah" Brittany replied

"and?"

"She said she was fine with it," Brittany said, choking out the last few words

"For real?!" Sam asked in shock

"Yeah. Why do you seem surprised?!"

"You guys were pretty serious. And I'm pretty sure Santana hates me. I figured us dating would make her pretty man. You know, she'll go all 'Lima Heights on my ass'" Sam replied jokingly

"That's not nice, Sam. Santana is a nice person. She just has trouble showing it to people," Brittany hissed

Sam was taken aback by Brittany's sudden hostility. He put one hand on her thigh and gave her a soft squeeze. Brittany swatted his hand away, keeping her eyes on the road.

"I'm sorry for what I said. I was just joking," Sam said softly.

"Well, Santana says jokes are half meant. So you half meant to be mean"

"I really am sorry. The last thing I want to do is hurt you"

Brittany looked at Sam and saw the boy's face. The blonde couldn't help but feel guilty for lashing out at him.

"It's okay. I'm sorry too. For getting mad at you," Brittany replied softly.

Sam put one arm around Brittany as the blonde scooted closer to him. They drove in silence but this time around, the awkward feeling was gone.

* * *

Brittany and Sam entered the auditorium hand in hand. The others eyed them suspiciously but it was Sugar who brought up the elephant in the room.

"So are you guys dating or what?" Sugar asked

"Well, yeah. I mean, we went on our first date yesterday but we both agreed to be exclusive," Sam replied

"I'm happy for you guys," Joe said, "But Britt, aren't you lesbian?"

"No, that was Santana. I'm more of a bicorn"

Joe had to do a double on Brittany's response but after a few seconds, he finally understood her answer.

"Oh, well, God loves you no matter what. I'm happy you've figured out yourself," Joe said with a smile.

"Alright, guys. We're all happy that Sam and Brittany are dating but can we please focus on the musical?" Artie interjected, "Mike, Brittany, can you guys walk Blaine and the girls through Beauty School Drop-Out? Boys, go vocalize with Mercedes and run through Grease Lightning."

"That was great you guys!" shouted Finn

"It was. But we're aiming for perfection. Let's take 15 and do everything from the top," said Artie.

* * *

Everyone broke into groups. Sam wanted to spend some alone time with Brittany but Finn dragged him outside the auditorium.

"Dude, what exactly are we doing out here?" asked Sam

"We need to talk," said Finn

"Alright. So talk."

"Why are you going out with Brittany?"

"What the hell does that mean?!" Sam said defensively

"It means, why are you going out with Brittany?" Finn replied calmly, "I mean, you guys barely talked to each other the past two years. That and you sort of went out with Santana but she was really in love with Brittany who you're now dating which I don't really get. Plus, you have Mercedes," continued Finn.

Sam let out a sigh and leaned against the wall.

"I know it's really weird and you're right, we were barely even friends before this year. But I really like Brittany. She understands me and she doesn't think I'm dumb…"

"No one thinks you're-"

"It's fine. One of the many 'perks' of being dyslexic. But when I'm with Brittany, none of that matters. It's just her and me. I care about her and I want her to be happy," said Sam

"And you think you can make her happy?" asked Finn

"Well, yeah. I mean, all of you practically forgot Brittany even exist"

"That's not true," Artie cut in

"Yeah. Of course we care about Brittany," Blaine added

"Really now?" Sam scoffed, "Because when she was missing Santana and acted all crazy, you guys gave her so much crap about it. After they broke up, none of you even bothered comforting her. And what about this whole deal on not graduating? You guys act like nothing's wrong to try and spare her feelings but she isn't some child you can lie to. She's a grown woman and the least you owe her is some honesty and respect."

All of them fell silent. Sam took one look at his friends' faces and knew he was right.

"You're right. We haven't been very supportive of Brittany," Artie said quietly

"But that's all gonna change. So if you and Brittany are serious about being together, then we're all right behind you," Finn added.

"Thanks, guys," Sam smiled, "Now if you'll excuse me, I would really like to go spend some time with Brittany."

* * *

Brittany sat at the back row and watched the rest of the girls play with the costumes. She looked down at her hand and focused on the bracelet she was wearing. Brittany closely examined the bracelet as she imagined its twin wrapped around Santana's wrist. She remembers the day Santana had given her the bracelet. It was a couple of weeks before they graduated middle school and Santana had avoided her the entire day. But after dance practice, Brittany found Santana waiting for her in the parking lot.

* * *

_"What are you doing here?" asked Brittany_

_"I wanted to know if you could come over tonight," Santana said shyly_

_Brittany's face lit up. She was really glad Santana wasn't mad at her._

" _Of course! I'm just gonna go home and get some clothes then I'll be right over," Brittany said with a smile_

" _I'll walk with you."_

" _San, it's fine. I don't want to be burden"_

" _Britt, it's fine. I really don't like it when you walk home alone._

_Brittany simply nodded and began walking. Santana methodically fell to the blonde's side and reached for Brittany's hand. They walked silently hand in hand as they always do. Every now and then, Brittany would catch Santana stealing glances. The blonde caught the brunette's gaze and the smaller girl blushed and looked away. Brittany smiled to herself and felt her own cheeks get warmer. A block away from Brittany's house, Santana let go of Brittany's hand much to the blonde's disappointment. They continued to walk in silence with Brittany constantly tugging on her shirt with her hands. Brittany didn't want to say it but she felt… incomplete without Santana's hand in hers. It was like she was floating in the air and it was Santana that had kept anchored to the world…kept her safe. The brunette must have felt Brittany's uneasiness because Santana took hold of the blonde's hand and gave it a soft squeeze. Brittany let out a sigh of relief and turned to face Santana who was wearing a sheepish grin._

_When the two girls arrived at Brittany's house, they found all three Pierces in the living room playing Monopoly._

" _Britt, there you are. We were begi-," began Mrs. Pierce, "Santana, dear, what brings you here?" said Susan as soon as she caught sight of the brunette._

" _We just came over to get some clothes for Brittany," replied Santana_

" _Clothes for what?" asked Bianca_

" _Santana asked if I could sleepover tonight and I said yes," Brittany said to her sister, "I mean, it is okay, right?" Brittany asked, turning to her parents_

" _Of course. Why don't you two go pack Britt's stuff and I'll drive you there," Henry Pierce said_

_Brittany hugged her parents and dragged Santana up to her bedroom. Santana just laughed as she watched Brittany 'pack'; rather, as she watched Brittany rummage through her closet and stuff all her clothes in to a duffel bag. Despite Brittany's rather frantic and disorganized actions, Santana noticed that there blonde showed some sort of grace through her movements and was fascinated by it._

" _I'm not really sure what you're doing can be considered packing," joked Santana_

" _Shut up. You know I don't see the point in packing," replied Brittany_

" _True. But it pains me to see all your clothes treated that way"_

" _But you love me anyways"_

_Santana smiled. She looked at Brittany who was wiggling her eyebrows_

_"I do," the brunette replied softly_

_Santana looked at Brittany as she slung the duffel bag over her shoulders seemingly unaware of the gravity of the words Santana had just uttered. Brittany walked over to the brunette. They linked their pinkies and went to the living room side by side._

_"Do you girls need money? For pizza or something?" asked Henry as Brittany and Santana got out of the car._

_"We're good, Mr. P. Thanks for the ride," replied Santana_

_"Here's 50. Just to be safe," Henry smiled as he handed Brittany a $50 bill._

" _So what do you want for dinner?" We don't need to order in. I can make something," said Santana as she opened the fridge to check what food they had._

_Santana noticed that there was some ground pork in the freezer. She checked the pantry to see if they had some pasta and tomato sauce._

_"Bingo," she thought to herself_

" _What are you smiling about?" asked Brittany as she stepped behind Santana and rested her chin on the brunette's shoulder._

" _We can make pasta and meatballs. We're gonna have to make the meatballs ourselves though, it'll be fun!"_

" _I call dibs on making them in to balls!" Brittany said excitedly_

_The two girls went about doing their separate tasks. Santana seasoned the meat before giving it to Brittany to mold in to balls. The Latina, on the other hand, began with the sauce. She made it a point to add a bit of hot sauce because she knew Brittany liked a bit of spice in her pasta. When she was satisfied with the taste and flavor of the sauce, she turned to Brittany to help but the blonde was already done._

_"Are we gonna fry the meatballs?" asked Brittany_

_"We'll fry them a bit then we can put them in the oven," replied Santana_

" _Alrighty," Brittany said as she put the pan on the stove, "You should do it though. I hate it when the oil pops. It stings."_

" _You just have to be careful. Come one, I'll teach you."_

_Brittany hesitantly accepted the spatula and stepped in front of the stove. Santana stood closely behind the blonde. She put one arm around the blonde and took hold of the blonde's free hand._

_"Use your hand to get the meatball," Santana said softly_

_Santana guided Brittany's hand and scooped up a meatball._

_"Santana…"_

_"You have to drop the meatball gently," Santana said, "Slowly, Britt."_

_Brittany nodded and carefully released the meatball in to the pan. She instinctively closed her eyes and flinched but felt nothing but Santana's strong arms wrapped around her._

_"See. Nothing to be afraid of," Santana said with a smile_

_Brittany sighed in relief and relaxed in to Santana's hold_

_"You good?" Santana asked_

_Brittany nodded and Santana released her hold on the blonde. Brittany frowned at the loss of contact. She really liked the way Santana felt against her. Santana was soft, her skin was smooth and she always smelled good. Apart from that, Santana made Brittany feel safe. She turned around and found Santana standing in front of the oven pressing a bunch of buttons. The brunette pushed one final button and walked towards Brittany. The blonde felt herself blush and immediately turned to the stove. She got a couple more meatballs and placed them in the pan._

_"Fry them for a few more seconds then we can put them in the oven"_

_"Okay," Brittany mumbled._

_Brittany was in the living room watching TV while Santana set-up the dining room. She really wanted to help but Santana wouldn't let her._

_"Hey," Santana said softly_

_Santana was leaning against the doorframe, her long wavy hair draped over her shoulders. Brittany noticed that Santana had changed out of her gym clothes and was now wearing a tight blank tank top and a pair of low cut jeans._

_"Dinner's ready," she said_

_Brittany got off the couch and followed Santana in to the dining room. The blonde couldn't keep her eyes off the brunette who was unusually quiet. They sat across each other and Brittany couldn't help but feel at awe at the girl in front of her._

_"You look really pretty," Brittany said softly_

_Santana blushed. A small smile formed across her face._

_"Nah. You're pretty. I'm just… me."_

" _And that's why you're pretty. You are, like, the most beautiful girl on the planet. You shouldn't be ashamed of that," Brittany said._

_Brittany's eyes drifted to Santana's hand on the table and the blonde suddenly had the urge to hold her hand._

_"Britt, what's wrong?" Santana asked nervously_

_The blonde looked up and met Santana's gaze._

_**'Just tell her' Brittany thought** _

_"Britt?"_

" _I…I wish you'd hold my hand," Brittany said, almost embarrassed at her request._

_Santana was taken aback by Brittany's request at first but the sight of Brittany blushing knocked some sense back in to the brunette. Santana relaxed her figure and reached for Brittany's hand. As soon as their hands touched, a light flickered inside Santana. Brittany's smile grew as she ran her thumb across the back of Santana's hand. They met each other's gaze and though there were so many things to be said, no words were spoken because they knew. They knew that_ _**'this'** _ _, whatever this may be, was_ _**real** _ _and that was all that mattered._ _**They** _ _were all that mattered_

_After dinner, Santana and Brittany went up to Santana's room. Brittany wanted to take a showed so Santana plopped down on her bed and checked her phone. Within a few minutes, Brittany stepped out of the showed and lied down beside Santana._

_"So, what do you wanna do?" Brittany asked_

" _We could watch a movie. I know I have a couple of Disney DVDs lying around here somewhere. We could have a marathon," Santana replied_

" _Why do you have Disney movies? You hate Disney movies"_

" _I know. But you don't"_

" _Best best friend ever," Brittany smiled_

_Brittany turned to give Santana a hug but as she moved towards her best friend, Santana turned to face Brittany and their lips meet. Both were surprised by the sudden contact but neither pulled away. Santana kissed Brittany with a fervent desire and the blonde kissed back. Santana tugged at the hem of Brittany's shirt and she felt the blonde freeze. The brunette pulled away from the kiss and kept her eyes glued to the ground._

_"I…I'm sorry. Please don't hate me… I didn't-"_

_Brittany's lips crashing down on hers cut off Santana's words. Brittany puts her hand around Santana's waist and pulled the Latina closer to her. Santana softly bit down on Brittany's lip that elicited a moan from the blonde. Brittany opens her mouth a bit to make room for Santana's tongue. Their tongues fight for control as their kiss becomes more intense, each wanting to taste every part of the other. Brittany pulled away from the kiss and Santana frowned at the loss of contact. Santana looked at Brittany. Her blonde hair was messed up, her shirt was pulled up and her lip was swollen from the kiss._

_"Bed. Now." Brittany husked out_

_The blonde once again began kissing Santana's lips. The brunette lied on her back while Brittany hovered about the Latina using her arms to prop herself up. Brittany moved her leg in between Santana's making Santana squirm in pleasure. Santana tugged at the hem of Brittany's shirt as the blonde made a trail of kisses from Santana's lips to her neck. Santana let out a moan when Brittany found her pulse point. Brittany grinned proudly to herself as she continued her assault on Santana's neck. The Latina, on the other hand, was getting restless. She slipped her hand under Brittany's shirt and cupped the blonde's breast. Brittany let out a muffled moan as Santana ran her fingers across the fabric and gently squeezed Brittany's breast._

_"Take this off now." Santana managed to say._

_Her voice was low and raspy which only turned on Brittany even more. Her voice was dripping with sex and arousal. Arousal for Brittany. This didn't go unnoticed by the blonde who quickly sat upright, straddling Santana. She took her shirt then with one fluid motion, she took of Santana's shirt and threw it on the floor. The blonde returned to her assaulting Santana's neck and the brunette found her hands tangled up in Brittany's golden locks._

_"Britt…" Santana moaned_

_Santana lifted her hips creating more friction where she needed it most. Her hands travelled downwards and she unclasped Brittany's bra. Brittany sat up and threw her bra on the floor. Santana took a moment to appreciate the beauty that was in front of her. Her eyes travelled up and down the blonde's exposed body, studying every inch of her perfect figure. Santana sat up so that Brittan's legs were intertwined with hers, their centers rubbing against one another's. Brittany unclasped Santana's bra as the brunette left a trail of kisses up the blonde's neck to her jawline. Brittany's hand travelled further south until she reached the waistline of Santana's jeans._

_"Britt…" Santana said softly_

_Brittany pulled away from the kiss and faced the brunette._

_"Do you…do you want to stop?" Brittany said_

_Her chest was still heaving and her center still throbbed from all the friction their closeness generated._

_"No…I just…I've never done this before," Santana said shyly_

_"Me neither…"_

_"I just want this to be special…for the both of us."_

_"It's special because I'm doing this with you," Brittany cooed._

_Santana nodded and leaned in slowly to kiss Brittany. The blonde met her halfway as her lips met Santana's. This kiss was different from all the others. It was much softer than the others but there was still that aggressiveness behind each touch. Santana pulled Brittany on top her, deepening their kiss as their centers grinded with one another's. Brittany made her way downwards leaving a trail of kisses that felt like tiny bolts of electricity on Santana's skin. Brittany cupped one of Santana's breast in her hand flicked the brunette's nipple. Santana groaned as she felt the wetness growing between her legs. Brittany could feel Santana becoming more and more restless underneath her. Brittany's hand went further south. The blonde traced her fingers across the brunette's thigh and inner leg, purposely avoiding the part where Santana needed her most._

_"Britt…please…" Santana begged_

_Her breathing became more erratic as she lifted her lips in a desperate attempt to get some pressure. Brittany finally gave in and she brushed her fingers across her Santana's center. Santana let out a muffled whimper and Brittany pressed harder, cupping Santana's aching center, sending shudders across the brunette's body._

_"San, you're so wet," Brittany murmured in to Santana's ear._

_Brittany playfully bit Santana's ear, moaning, as her own need grew stronger. Brittany unbuttoned Santana's jeans and the brunette frantically wiggled her way of them. Santana pulled Brittany closer to her for a kiss as blonde slid a finger in between the brunette's slick folds. Brittany's lips crashing on to hers muffled Santana's moan. Brittany broke the kiss and met Santana's gaze. Holding the brunette's gaze, Brittany slowly pushed her fingers inside until she was in knuckle deep. Santana threw her head back in pleasure as she allowed herself to completely adjust to the feel of having Brittany inside her. All of a sudden, the blonde pulled out complete making Santana frown at the loss of contact but before she could say something, Brittany thrust back two fingers in with an unexpected force catching Santana off guard._

_"Fuck," Santana gasped_

_Brittany smirked at the Latina's reaction and continued pumping her fingers in and out of the brunette as she used her thumb to rub circles and apply pressure on the brunette's clit Each time she would pull out, she'd be met with a soft whimper but before Santana could fully feel the loss of Brittany's fingers, the blonde would immediately thrust right back in._

_"Britt…that feels so good," Santana moaned_

_Santana moved her hips in place with Brittany's thrust. The blonde captured her lips in to a deep kiss before making her way down to Santana's chest. Brittany flicked on of Santana's nipples with her tongue while her free hand teased the other. She could fear the Latina's breathing becoming jagged and she knew that the other girl was close. Brittany pulled out her fingers and began licking them one by one while maintaining eye contact with Santana who was glaring at the blonde._

_"What the fuck, Britt? I was about to c—"_

_Brittany leaned in and kissed Santana allowing the smaller girl to taste herself on the blonde's tongue._

" _I wanted to know if you tasted as good as I thought you would," Brittany said after she broke the kiss._

_"And?"_

_Brittany slowly made her way south, her fingers tracing a path from Santana's lips down the middle of her breasts and across the brunette's toned abs._

_"I was wrong," Brittany said softly, her breath hot against Santana's center._

_Santana sat up to say something but Brittany darted out her tongue and applied pressure on the brunette's throbbing clit._

" _You taste so much better than I imagined," Brittany said through Santana's folds._

_Santana moaned loudly as she fell to her back and her hands tangled themselves in Brittany's golden locks. She raises her hips and pushes Brittany deeper in to her. The blonde eagerly concedes and pushes her tongue deeper in to Santana. When she reaches a particular spot, Brittany feels the brunette squirm underneath her hold. Brittany grins to herself and hits that spot over and over again. As the brunette's breathing becomes erratically uneven, Brittany starts to draw circles on Santana's clit and inserts two fingers. The brunette gasps at the sudden entry but she quickly recovers and goes on to buckle her hips along with Brittany's rhythm. With one final thrust, Santana's fingers dig deep on Brittany's shoulders, possibly leaving marks, and goes over the edge screaming the blonde's name over and over again like a mantra. Brittany continues to pump her fingers in and out slowly allowing Santana to ride out her orgasm. When Santana's body relaxes, Brittany pulls out her fingers and licks them clean. She leans in and laps on Santana's wet pussy licking ever inch of her making sure to get all the juices from the brunette. Brittany licks Santana's center one more time before lying down beside the brunette._

_"That… was… amazing," Santana said breathlessly_

" _Yeah… you were amazing," Brittany said as she placed a chaste kiss on Santana's lips._

" _Thanks," Santana said, pulling Brittany closer "You're turn," she said before placing a kiss on Brittany's jaw._

_Brittany smiled at the girl and stopped her._

_"No?"_

_"I just wanna cuddle," Brittany replied._

_Santana was unsure of herself for a moment but motioned for Brittany to come closer. Brittany rested her head on the crook of Santana's neck. Their legs tangled up in a way that wasn't uncomfortable for either of them, like they'd been doing this all their lives. They just fit together. Perfectly. Like their bodies were made to be together…like they were made to be together. They just laid there in silence. Brittany drew patterns with her fingers across Santana's chest as the brunette held her in a protective embrace._

_"Hey, Britt. I wanna give you something," murmured Santana_

_Brittany looked up at Santana with a huge smile on her face._

_"You got me a present?" the blonde asked excitedly. Getting something from one of the drawers. Santana sat down on the side of the bed as Brittany sat up, covered only by the blankets. The Latina handed the blonde a black box tied with a red bow._

_"Can I open it now?" Brittany asked_

_"Sure. I hope you like it," Santana replied_

_Santana watched nervously as the blonde slowly opened the box._

_"So, uhm, what do you think?" Santana asked_

_Brittany didn't answer. She was too caught up in examining the bracelet. It was a simple bracelet with a single silver charm. Brittany examined the charm more closely. It was a moon, a new moon to be specific. She turned it over and saw an engraving._

_**aeternum et semper** _

_"Britt? If you don't like it, just tell me," Santana said weakly_

_Brittany rolled her eyes at the girl's words and leaned in for a kiss._

" _You still think I don't like it?" Brittany chuckled, her lips inches away from Santana's._

" _Hmm…I'm still not sure," Santana giggled._

_Brittany smiled and kissed Santana again._

_"Now?"_

_"So I take it you like your present?"_

" _I love it," Brittany replied, "But if we're being honest, I kinda got you a present too," she continued_

_Santana raised her eyebrow and looked at the blonde._

_"Go get my duffel bag," Brittany said._

_"Such a bossy pants," Santana teased as she stood up and got the girl's bag._

_"Yet you followed me," Brittany laughed as she went through her bag._

_After a minute or two, Brittany gave Santana a black box similar to one she had given the blonde not 5 minutes ago._

_"Open it," Brittany said_

_Santana opened the box and found a bracelet similar to the one she had just given Brittany. She looked at it closely and saw that like the bracelet she had given, there was a single silver charm: a sun. Santana didn't know why or when but all of a sudden, she felt Brittany's fingers brush against the skin near her eyes. Tears had apparently formed there without her noticing._

_"San, you don't like it?" Brittany said in a small voice_

_"No, I love it," Santana said with a smile, "These are happy tears, Britt."_

" _I'm sorry I didn't get yours engraved. We could go to the store and get it engraved. That way we match even more"_

" _We can go tomorrow," Santana replied, "Let's go sleep so we can leave early."_

_"Help me put on my bracelet first"_

_After putting on their bracelets, Brittany put on some clothes before snuggling up to Santana._

_"San, you wanna be the big spoon?"_

_"Sure, Britt," Santana replied, "Now go to sleep"_

_"Mhmm," Brittany said, "G'night, San. I love you."_

_"G'night, Britt," Santana replied softly._

_Santana felt the blonde's breathing even out signaling her entering a deep slumber._

" _I love you too, Britt. Forever and always," Santana whispered, thinking Brittany was asleep._

_She kissed the back of Brittany's head and soon fell asleep herself. Little did she know, Brittany was still awake and the blonde heard her. Brittany did her best to suppress a giggle. There was something inside Brittany that tingled but she wasn't quite sure what it was. All she knew was that she loved the sound of Santana saying 'I love you'._

* * *

The sound of Sugar and the rest of the glee club members shouting for her interrupted Brittany's reminiscing.

"Brittany! Coach Sue's calling you!" Sugar shouted

Brittany looked at where Sugar was pointing and saw Coach Sue standing with a weird look on her face. Brittany rushed over surrounded by her glee mates.

"Coach, what's going on?" Brittany asked

"Brittany, I think it would be best if you and I spoke in private," Coach Sue said flatly.

"Coach, it's fine. The Glee Club is my family"

Sue hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided that maybe having the glee kids around would be better.

"Brittany, there was an accident," Coach Sue began

"Oh no. Was someone hurt?" Brittany asked

"Yes," Sue said, shuffling place, "It was…uh… your dad."

"What?" Brittany said, unsure of what she heard.

"Your dad was in the accident, Brittany," Sue said softly as she dropped her gaze, refusing to meet the blonde's

Brittany froze.

"…wha…whe…"

"Your aunt called me when you didn't answer your phone. I can accompany you to the hospital. Your mom's there with your aunty," Sue said.

Brittany simply nodded and followed Sue out of the auditorium. Everyone else was left behind speechless and unsure of what to do. Amidst the cloud of shock, Sugar stepped aside and pulled out her cellphone. She dialed a number she hadn't used in so long. Sugar impatiently tapped her foot as she waited for the other end to pick up. When the receiver picked up, Sugar felt a wave of relief spread across her body.

"Santana, Brittany needs you."

 


	8. Chapter 8

"So are you going to tell us who this teddy bear is for?" Kurt asked as he snapped a picture of Santana holding the bear.

"It's obviously for Brittany," Quinn stated.

"My world doesn't revolve around her, you know," Santana defended herself.

"Whatever you say, Santana," Kurt snorted.

Quinn let out a chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"So maybe the bear is for Brittany. I bought my best friend a bear. Sue me."

"I don't know," Kurt said wistfully, "Teddy bears are sort of girlfriend territory to me."

Santana rolled her eyes but somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought about what Kurt said. Was this too much? She didn't want Brittany to get the wrong idea. But before she could respond, Kurt received a text and began to walk quickly.

"Kurt, what's wrong?" Quinn asked.

"Remember that shoot we're going to?" Kurt said.

"Yeah. Something about empowered young women of today or some weird crap," Santana replied

"One of the models decided to get measles. The day of the fucking shoot! This is a disaster," Kurt exclaimed.

Quinn and Santana exchanged worried looks as their friend furiously typed on his phone.

* * *

"Kurt! Thank God you're here. I'm one bobby pin away from having a nervous breakdown," Isabelle said as soon as she caught sight of Kurt.

"Do not go there! We're gonna be fine. It's New York City. How hard can it be to find a young hot woman with brains and talent?"

Isabelle nodded absentmindedly when she caught sight of Santana talking with Quinn in the background.

"Her. What about her?" Isabelle said, pointing to Santana

"What? Who?" Kurt replied.

He turned around and saw that Isabelle was pointing at Santana and Quinn.

"Which one? The blonde or the brunette?"

"The brunette! Way too many blondes out there."

"Oh," Kurt said, realizing Isabelle's sentiments, "Well, Santana is pretty I'll give her that. And she definitely has the attitude for the-"

"You know her?!"

"Yeah. We went to high school together! Come on. I'll introduce you."

They walked over to where Santana and Quinn were and the two girls stopped their conversation.

"Quinn, Santana, this is-"

"Isabelle Wright. What size are you? You looked like a 3, maybe a 2."

Santana and Quinn held out their hands but exchanged looks while Kurt let out an exasperated sigh.

"What she means is, how would you like to be a part of our feature for this month?"

"Who? Me?" Santana asked

"Very," Isabelle stated

"I don't think I fit the bill. Why not go for Quinn here? She went through a teenage pregnancy and got into Yale"

"Well, just go on and tell the whole damn planet, won't you?" Quinn scoffed.

"Oh no worries. We make no judgments here in New York," Isabelle said

"Nice to know. But Santana really is perfect for this feature," Quinn replied.

"No, I'm not-"

"She's taking up Political Science at the University of Louisville on a cheerleading scholarship," Quinn said

"She has a great voice, raspy and sultry. Sort of like a cross between Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys and Beyonce. That and she's gay" Kurt continued.

Santana's eyes widened in shock. Sure, people in college were more open but she didn't exactly go around parading her sexuality to everyone. Kurt must've noticed Santana's face because he turned to her with a smug look on his face.

"Relax, Santana. Half the city is gay. No one's gonna give you crap about being gay here."

"But that doesn't mean I'm gonna announce it to the whole damn city, Porcelain" Santana hissed.

"Porcelain?" Isabelle asked curiously.

"Santana here has a knack for giving us offensive yet creative and surprisingly fitting nicknames" Quinn answered

"I think it's part of the requirements for being head bitch," Kurt added.

Santana rolled her eyes but she couldn't hold back a soft chuckle.

"Thank you for that lovely backstory, Q and Kurt. But I highly doubt anyone would be interested in my sad miserable life."

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure of that. You'd be surprised at how many people will be able to relate to your story, Santana," Isabelle said.

Santana took one look at the three faces in front of her and she knew she couldn't this battle. She let out a deep sigh and turned to Isabelle.

"What do I have to do?" Santana sighed.

Quinn squealed and clapped her hands excitedly while Kurt and Isabelle let out sighs of relief. Isabelle pulled me in for a quick hug and kissed on both cheeks.

"Thank you thank you thank you! Kurt will bring you to hair and make-up. You and Quinn can go play dress up. I'm gonna go prep the photographers. We're gonna have to shoot at the studio to make this quick."

* * *

After an elaborate exchange with the stylist, Santana was finally done with hair and make up. The stylist originally wanted to give Santana the slutty college student look but all three friends immediately rejected the idea. Santana ended up wearing a loose button up polo with high waist jeans and stilettos. It wasn't too formal to make the Latina look like a stuck up but it wasn't provocative either. It was…just right. Just Santana.

"Hi, my name's Sarah. I'll be your photographer."

Santana shook the girl's hand and returned her smile.

"Sarah! There you are. Are you the one doing the shoot?" Kurt squealed as soon as he caught sight of the redhead.

"Hey, Kurt! Isabelle just called me in," Sarah said, "So, where have you been hiding this one?" she continued, pointing at me.

"Oh she's only visiting," Kurt said.

"Well I certainly hope you visit more often, Santana," Sarah said with a wink.

Santana nodded and smiled back. She couldn't deny the fact that she was flattered someone had shown interest in her. That and admittedly, Sarah was a pretty attractive woman. She stood at a height of 5'8" and had wavy auburn hair. Sarah had green eyes and pouty lips. Her voice was raspy, much like Santana's but it was lower and definitely had a sexier edge to it. [a/n: think Mila Kunis+Emma Stone+Megan Fox] Kurt couldn't help but smirk at the exchange between the two. He nudged Quinn who was toying with her phone and the two exchanged looks.

"How about we get on with that shoo?" Kurt suggested coyly.

"Right. So, uh, Santana, could you just do a couple of poses with the props? With the clear folders and books?" Sarah said.

Santana did just as she was told and carried the folders and books like she normally would. Santana wasn't exactly new to playing the camera since she'd done a couple of photo shoots before with the Cheerios but this was different. Back then, she was wearing the Cheerios uniform but now, she was naked. This time around, it was all her. Part of her was afraid but part of her was exhilarated. There was nothing to hide with and somewhere in the back of her mind, Santana couldn't help but think that maybe, she never even had anything to hide in the first place.

"These shots are great but I think we should get some candids and informal shots too," Sarah said as she browsed through the photos, "Kurt and…"

"Quinn," Quinn said with a smile

"Right. Kurt and Quinn, go join Santana in the shot and just have fun"

"How exactly do we do that?" Santana asked.

"Friday nights and the lights are low…" Kurt began to sing.

Santana's eyes widened as a smile spread across her face.

"Looking out for a place to go," Quinn continued.

"Where they play the right music," Santana sang

"Getting in the swing, you've come to look for king," Kurt sang

"Anybody could be that guy" Santana sang as she flirtily pointed to Kurt

"The night is young and the music's high," Quinn harmonized.

The trio sang and danced through the entire song like they'd been rehearsing for months. They fell back in to that old familiar pattern they'd come to share over the years. Several employees had stopped working and gathered around to watch their impromptu performance. By the time they finished, nearly everyone on the floor had crowded to the studio. Everyone broke into applause and the three friends formed a single line and bowed together.

"Alright, alright," Isabelle shouted, "Everyone go back to work!"

The crowd dispersed immediately and Isabelle walked towards the trio.

"That was amazing! I didn't know you guys were that good," Isabelle gushed.

"Show choir national champions, baby!" Santana replied

"You should see us with the rest of our glee mates," Quinn said.

"We're flawless," Kurt added.

"Well, it seems Sarah here took enough photos of you for an entire issue!" Isabelle joked, "How's about we get to that interview?"

"Sure thing. Let me go get my things," Santana said.

The Latina went over to get her bag beside Sarah's camera equipment.

"You were amazing back there," Sarah said

"Thanks. I'm sure you did some magic with your camera to make me look beautiful. God knows I need it," Santana replied.

"Oh I think you're fine on your own," Sarah whispered

Santana looked over at the redhead and grinned.

"And I bet you're dying to find out just how fine I am, aren't you?"

Sarah licked her lower lip and moved closer to Santana, slipping a thin card in to the brunette's hand.

"Why don't you call me and find out?" Sarah said before walking away with an extra sway to her hips.

Santana looked at the calling card with a huge smirk on her face. She slipped the thin card in to her pocket and went to find Isabelle.

* * *

"So, you're taking up Political Science in University of Louisville, correct?" Isabelle said as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Yeah, I'm studying to become a lawyer." Santana replied.

Isabelle nodded and wrote down a few notes on her notepad.

"So, why Louisville? Is it because it's close to home?"

"Yeah, there was a person…people back home that I didn't really want to leave behind," Santana said as she recalled memories of a certain blonde back in Lima, " and I got a scholarship there so I figured, why not?"

"Ooh, right! You have a cheerleading scholarship. How'd that happen?"

"Well, my high school cheer coach—"

"Sue Sylvester, the toughest of the tough," Isabelle filled.

"Yeah," Santana chuckled, "Sue was definitely the toughest which is why I even got accepted in the first place. Her hardcore training definitely whipped me in to shape. I know they say college cheerleading is different from high school cheerleading and believe me it's true. Cheer under Sue is way easier," Santana joked.

"So your coach thought about signing you up for a scholarship? That's pretty sweet of her," Isabelle commented.

Santana clenched her jaw. She didn't think she'd have to speak about  _ **her.**_

"Actually, it wasn't Sue's idea. My..uhh…" Santana cleared her throat," my ex-girlfriend thought about it actually and she told Sue."

"Was she the one you were dating when you got outed?"

Santana cocked her head to the side and looked at Isabelle with a surprised look.

"I do research on all my subjects. It's nothing major though. Just the usual background on families and whatever comes up on Google,"

"Google huh? You saw the…"

"Yeah, but I didn't watch it. Not really my thing," Isabelle shrugged

"Good. Because this would've been awkward," Santana laughed.

"That's true," Isabelle laughed, "So what was that like?"

"It was…scary. I pretty much survived high school because everyone feared me. When I got outed, I was pretty sure it would all change and things would be different," Santana replied, seemingly lost in her thought, "And true enough, they were. It was hard, you know? My parents were supportive and so were my friends. But then, there were always…people who were just so…hateful. They were filled with hatred. And they wanted me to feel that hate, and I did. And it sucked."

"When did things get better?" Isabelle asked softly.

" Honestly? I don't know. There are still people like them. People who'd make rude comments or make a pass at me hoping for some threesome or something. But after I got outed, after some time, I just…stopped caring about what they thought. Because for the first time in my life, I was happy. I was free. I was…I was in love and I didn't have to hide. It didn't matter to me that people didn't like it. I was too engrossed in my own little fairytale," Santana said with a smile.

"So, this ex-girlfriend of yours…was it serious?"

"Yeah, it was…it was pretty serious," Santana said, feeling a lump in her throat form.

"Any relationships since then? I'm sure someone as attractive as you would've picked up someone by now."

"No, just living the single life," Santana grined, "I'm more of a one woman kinda girl"

"So I take it you believe in soul mates? Fate? True love?" Isabelle grinned

Santana met Isabelle's gaze head on then allowed her eyes to drift to the shiny bracelet on her wrist and back to Isabelle's gaze.

"I do," Santana admitted.

"Have you ever loved someone?"

"Of course. Believe it or not, I'm a very lovable person," Santana said with a wink.

"Have you ever been  _ **in**_  love with someone?"

"I have. Only once though,"

"What was it like?"

"Like it was a once in a lifetime thing,"

Isabelle eyed the girl in front of her curiously but simply nodded. Before she could say anything, Santana's phone began to ring and the brunette immediately answered it.

"You got S-Lo. What's up?" Santana said

Santana's brows furrowed and her entire figured stiffened.

"I'll be on the next flight out." Santana said.

She put down the phone and turned to Isabelle.

"I am so so sorry for this but something came up and I need to go back home to Lima."

"Santana, what happened?"

"It's a long story. But Brittany needs me. I need to go,"

Without another word, Santana rushed off to the subway leaving Isabelle all alone.

"Brittany," Isabelle said as she wrote down the name, "Who are you and how do you fit in to Santana's life?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait but school got in the way. We’re technically done but we had graduation practice soo =_= Anyhoo, a lot of you guys don’t know who Isabelle is so just to clarify, in the tv-verse, Isabelle is the character played by Sarah Jessica Parker. She’s the executive at Vogue and just so happens to be Kurt’s boss :D She will be playing a pretty important role in this fic so keep an eye out for her. I divided Chapter 9 in to 2 PARTS. Then the official chapter 10 will be in the future already since I’ve decided to do a time jump thing for plot purposes xP BTW, DON’T FREAK OUT. WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE BRITTANA FANFICTION. (If you don’t know what im talking about, go watch HeMo’s Spingbreakers interview)
> 
> Tumblr: my-breasts-ache-with-rage . tumblr . com

Brittany remained silent throughout the entire car ride. Sue did her best to make the blonde comfortable even playing Brittney Spears on the radio since she knew it was the girl’s favorite. But it was no use. Brittany wasn’t smiling like she always was. That sparkle in her eye was gone. It was like Sue was looking at a completely different person.

“Brittany, we’re here,” Sue stated.

Brittany mechanically got out of the car and followed Sue in to the hospital.

“Brittany! Thank God you’re here,” Sharon shouted.

“Hi, Aunt Sharon. Where’s my mom?” Brittany said softly.

“She’s in the family lounge with Dr. Maura”

“Do you want me to go with you, Brittany?” Sue asked

“No, thanks Coach. I…I have to this alone,”

Brittany followed her aunt to the lounge where Dr. Maura was sitting beside her mom while holding her hand.

“Mom?” Brittany croaked.

“Brittany, you’re here. Uhm, I’ll leave you guys alone,” Dr. Maura said as soon as she caught sight of the blonde

“How’s dad doing? What happened?” Brittany asked

“There was a crash and the right side of his body was crushed on impact. Part of his spine was fractured which led to paralysis. They’re planning on operating but they can’t do anything until he wakes up.”

“Will…will he be okay?”

“The doctors are hopeful. You’re father’s a fighter, sweetie. He isn’t going down without a fight,”

They spent the next few hours talking to doctors and signing numerous papers. By the time evening came, Brittany was exhausted. Both physically and emotionally.

“Britt, why don’t you go home?” Susan suggested, “I’ll stay with your dad tonight”

“But mom…”

“Go home, sweetheart. I’m sure Bianca could use the company,”

“I’ll be back tomorrow, okay?” Brittany said

“You can pick Bianca up tomorrow at the elementary then the both of you can swing by to see your dad,”

“Sure thing, mom. I love you,”

“I love you too”

When Brittany arrived at her house, she found all of her glee friends waiting in her living room.

“How’d you guys get in?” Brittany asked.

“Your cousin let us in. Bianca convinced him that we weren’t insane killers,” Sam answered.

He stood up from where he was sitting and walked towards Brittany. He pulled her in for a tight hug and she hugged him back. Nothing. She still couldn’t feel anything.

“I’m fine, you guys,” Brittany said.

“Marley and I went shopping a while ago. We bought loads of food and stuff,” Sugar said

“Yeah. There’s some spaghetti and meatballs in the kitchen. We figured you’d be hungry,” Sam added.

Brittany could feel her heart beating faster and faster. Everyone was staring at her. But that wasn’t what bothered her. It was the look on their faces. They all looked at her with pity. Like she was some broken doll. It was clear that all of them were walking on eggshells around her, unsure of what to say or do.

“I’m not hungry,” Brittany mumbled, “You guys can stay here if you want. Sugar knows where everything is,”

Brittany walked towards the stairs wanting nothing more than to escape from everyone.

“Not even for my special recipe?”

Brittany stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to find the source of the voice. Brittany turned around and her eyes met a pair of familiar black orbs.

“Santana,” Brittany whispered.

Saying her name made Brittany warm inside. Santana was here. Brittany repeated the thought over and over again in her head. Santana moved towards Brittany, their eyes still locked. Santana hugged Brittany and the blonde clung on to the brunette for dear life.

“I’m here, Britt. I’m here,” Santana said as she stroke Brittany’s hair

“You’re here,” Brittany whispered.

Santana broke the hug much to Brittany’s dismay. Santana dropped her hand to the side and instinctively linked pinkies with the blonde.

“So how does spaghetti and meatballs sound?”

Brittany simply nodded and followed Santana to the kitchen.

“Come on, everyone. There’s enough food for everyone,” Santana said.

The rest of the glee club followed them in to the kitchen. When everyone had gotten their plates, they all went back to the living room.

“Why don’t we watch some tv? I think there are new episodes of Jershey Shore,” Sam suggested.

“Sure. I could use some Snooki laughs,” Artie said.

Santana shook her head in disbelief. Santana couldn’t believe these two dated Brittany.

“I can’t belief Brittany fell for these two,” Santana thought to herself.

Santana looked over to Brittany who was awkwardly sitting beside Sam. It was clear that the blonde wasn’t thrilled at the idea of watching reality tv.

“Don’t even think about putting on Jersey Shore, Trouty. We’re watching Peter Pan,” Santana said.

“Hold up. Did you say Peter Pan?” Wade asked

“That’s right, boy-wheezy. You got a problem with that?”

“Unique has no problem. Just making sure,” Wade said.

Santana stood up and got the Peter Pan DVD from the rack. She put in the DVD and sat back down beside Sugar and Marley. Much to everyone’s surprise, they found themselves engrossed in the movie. Santana tried her best to focus on the movie but she found herself closely watching Brittany who was snuggled up to Sam. It hurt her to see them like that but she couldn’t look away. She was too busy studying the blonde’s features. The way she would scrunch her nose whenever she would laugh. The little her head does whenever something upsets her. Santana did her best to remember as much as she could to bring back with her to Louisville.

When the movie ended, everyone helped with the dishes. They ended up breaking in to a rendition of Work This Out from High School Musical. Santana, much to her own surprise, found herself enjoying the moment.

“Hey,” Brittany said.

She wrapped her arms around Santana’s waist and hugged the shorter girl from behind. Santana froze and for a minute there, she considered staying in Brittany’s arms.

“What’s up, Britt?” Santana said, as she broke free of Brittany’s hold.

Brittany furrowed her brows and looked at the brunette.

“Britt? What’s up?” Santana repeated

“Did I do something wrong?” Brittany asked

“What? No! Why would you think that?”

“Because you keep pulling away from me. Every time I get close to you, you freeze and move away from me.”

“Britt…”

“And don’t tell me it’s because of Sam. We’ve dated other people before and you’ve never acted like this except…”

“Except when Brittany?” Santana challenged.

Brittany was surprised at the Latina’s tone. She never used the blonde’s full name unless she was surprised.

“When you told me…you…”

“When I told you I loved you and you blew me off for Artie”

“That’s not the same thing, San”

“Whatever,” Santana hissed.

Santana put the last of the dishes back in to the cabinets and turned to Brittany.

“I’m really sorry about your dad, Britt-Britt,” Santana said softly.

She put her hand on Brittany’s shoulder.

“I should probably head home now,” Santana continued.

“You don’t wanna stay the night?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Santana replied, “But I’m pretty sure Sam’s willing to stay the night. Right, Trouty?”

“I can crash on the couch,” Sam said.

Brittany let out a defeated sigh. She really wanted to sleep next to Santana tonight but she knew there was no point in arguing.

“Okay,” Brittany sighed, “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Maybe, Britt. Goodnight,” Santana said softly.

Santana gave Brittany a quick hug and walked over to Sam.

“Take care of her, Trouty. Don’t make me go all Lima Heights on your ass”

“Sure thing, Santana” Sam replied.

Brittany spent the last hour tossing and turning on her bed. She couldn’t sleep even though she desperately wants to. Brittany kicked off her blanket and put on her jacket. She snuck down the stairs and past Sam. Little did she know, Sam was still awake and saw her snuck out. Sam got up and put on his coat. He went outside and caught sight of Brittany riding off on her bike. He closed the door behind him and followed Brittany. After awhile, he recognized where Brittany was going. When Brittany finally stopped, Sam was surprised to see that she stopped in front of a pretty big house. It was a 3-story house with a modern Spanish feel to it. After Brittany had entered the house, Sam moved closer and read the name on the mailbox.

#11286 Rivera St. – Lopez Family

Sam felt his chest tighten at the words on the mailbox. He looked up at the house and saw the light switch on at the 3rd floor. He saw a figure move towards the bed and the blonde smiled sadly to himself. But deep down he knew that he should’ve seen it coming.

When Brittany opened the door to Santana’s bedroom, she half expected to see Santana sprawled across the bed waiting for her. But instead, she found Santana behind her computer furiously typing on the keys.

“San?” Brittany said tentatively.

Santana turned around and saw the blonde.

“Britt? What’re you doing here? Is everything okay?”

“I couldn’t sleep” Brittany shrugged

Santana nodded, unsure of what to do next.

“Can I sleep here tonight?” Brittany asked.

“Sure. You can sleep on my bed. I can stay in the guest room”

“Don’t be silly. We always sleep in the same bed”

Brittany got on the bed and turned to Santana.

“Sleep now. Please?” Brittany said.

“Sleep, then.” Santana sighed.

Santana lied down on the opposite side of he bed and faced the other way. Just as she was about to close her eyes, she felt Brittany’s body press against her.

“San, can you be the big spoon tonight?” Brittany said softly, “Please?”

Santana bit down on her lower lip but conceded to the blonde’s request. She turned around and was now face to face with the blonde. Brittany smiled and nuzzled Santana’s nose.

“I really miss this,” Brittany said

Brittany rested her head on Santana’s chest and nuzzled Santana’s neck. Brittany had one arm around Santana and the brunette wrapper her arms around the blonde.

“San?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you sing for me?” Brittany asked shyly.

“I might not sound good. It’s been a while,” Santana said in an attempt to excuse herself.

“I don’t care. I just miss the sound of your voice”

Santana let out a deep sigh and closer her eyes.

When you try not to look at me

Scared that I’ll see you hurting

You’re not hiding anything, no

And frankly it’s got me worried

Nobody knows you better than I do

I keep my promises; I’m fighting for you

Brittany nuzzled further into Santana, tightening her hold on the brunette underneath her.

You’re not alone

I’ll listen till your tears give out

You’re safe and sound; I swear that I won’t let you down

What’s hurting you I, I feel it too

I mean it when I say

When you cry, I cry with you, with you

Santana stopped when she heard the muffled sobs coming from Brittany.

“San, why’d you stop?” Brittany said shakily.

“Because you’re crying. You know I don’t like it when you cry”

Brittany remained silent and moved up on the bed to face Santana.

“Wanna talk about it?” Santana asked.

“I’m scared,” Brittany admitted shyly

“Scare of what?”

“My dad leaving me, my family. I don’t know what I’d do without him”

“Britt, no matter what happens. You’re gonna be okay”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Don’t you remember what I told you? You are the unicorn, Britt”

Brittany smiled to herself and leaned in towards Santana until their noses touched. Brittany traced the Latina’s features as she listened to the beating of their hearts.

“I’ve missed you. I’ve missed our cuddles. I’ve missed our sweet lady kisses. I miss everything,” Brittany said softly.

Santana remained silent. She locked eyes with the blonde and knew what she had to do.

“I’ve missed you too, Britt. But we need to stop doing this”

“Doing what?”

“The flirting. The sweet lady kisses… all of it”

“Why? I mean, I know I’m dating Sam but…”

“I know what I said before. The whole idea that…”

“The plumbing’s different” Brittany finished.

Santana let out a sigh. She had to do this. Brittany wasn’t a cheater. Brittany was a good person. There was no way she’d make a sinner out of someone like Britt.

“But it’s still cheating. I know what I said before but…that was the old high school Santana who was selfish and inconsiderate. I’m telling you now that what we’re doing is wrong so we should stop”

Brittany bit down on her lower lip and nodded. She opened her mouth to say something but decided against it at the last minute and just snuggled closer to Santana.

“Britt, do you wanna say something?” Santana asked, “I won’t get mad or anything. I promise.”

“Are…are we still best friends?”

“Forever and always, Britt”

Brittany could hear the smile in Santana’s voice. Brittany let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes drifting off to sleep.

Brittany woke up to the sound of Santana’s laughter emanating down the hall. The blonde got up and made her way to the source of the laughter.

“Stop it! I have to do laundry,” Santana squealed.

Brittany’s face scrunched up in confusion. It wasn’t like Santana to squeal like that. At least with people that aren’t Brittany. When the blonde arrived at the laundry room, she found Santana being straddled by a redhead, both of them covered in bubbles.

“Sarah stop! That seriously tickles” Santana laughed.

Brittany felt her chest tighten at the sight unfolding before her.

“Who the heck is this girl?” Brittany thought

Before Brittany could leave, Santana noticed her and gave her a smile

“Britt, help me” Santana pleaded

Sarah turned around and got off Santana

“So you’re Brittany. I’m Sarah,” Sarah said, “I’d shake your hand but I’d get bubbles all over you”

“And Lord knows how that would’ve turned out” Santana grinned.

Sarah held out her hand to the brunette, which the smaller girl gladly took. The two exchanged looks which didn’t go unnoticed by Brittany who silently cringed.

“I should probably go,” Sarah said softly, “I’ll see you later, Santana”

“Sure. I’ll text you the directions” Santana replied with a smile

Sarah hugged Santana and waved awkwardly at Brittany before leaving. As soon as Brittany heard the front door shut, she walked over to Santana who was putting clothes in the laundry.

“Who is she?” Brittany asked softly

“Her name’s Sarah. You just met her a few seconds ago, Britt” Santana shrugged.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it”

“She’s just a friend, Britt. She’s a photographer from New York who works with Kurt.”

“Do you…do you like her?”

Santana froze for a split second. She clenched her jaw and kept her eyes glued to the clothes.

“I do. She seems like a cool person” Santana said softly

Brittany felt something stir inside her. Jealousy? Anger? Pain? She wasn’t sure. But the thought of Santana being with another girl made her insides turn.

“Are you…are you gonna take her out on a date?”

The words came out before Brittany could think them through. Her heart stopped beating as she waited for the brunette’s answer.

“We’re meeting at Breadsticks later. I don’t know yet if I wanna date her, date her” Santana sighed.

“Oh…”

“That’s okay with you, right? I mean, we’re not together anymore. And you’re with Sam so…”

“No, yeah. You should totally go for her. She seems cool” Brittany said as she forced a smile

“Alright then. Uhm, let me go get changed then I can drop you off at the elementary then at the hospital”

“How did you…”

“I’ve been your best friend since we were 12. I know your schedule, Britt” Santana chuckled.

Santana and Brittany kept a respectable distance between them while walking through the elementary to pick up Brittany’s sister. The car ride wasn’t awkward but it was clear there was still some lingering issues between them.

“Brittany! Santana!” Bianca shouted

The two turned around and saw a tiny blonde rushing towards them.

“Santana! I can’t believe you’re here” Bianca giggled

“I did promise I would visit you so here I am” Santana smiled

Bianca smiled brightly at the Latina and hugged her tight. Brittany felt her chest swell in happiness at the interaction between the two girls.

“So how would you like to go see your dad” Santana said

“I can visit daddy?” Bianca asked, wide-eyed

“Yeah. Mom’s waiting for us at the hospital” Brittany answered

Bianca grabbed them by the hand and ran towards Santana’s car.

Santana drove while Brittany and Bianca sang along the radio. There was no tension between Santana and Brittany. The atmosphere was filled with nothing but joy and happiness. Brittany smiled and laughed as Santana and Bianca danced along to the songs on the radio. This time was different because for the longest time, whenever she smiled our laughed, she actually meant it. She was actually happy. She felt happy.

Even though the car had stopped, the laughter went on. Brittany and Santana held on to Bianca with one hand each. They swung her as they made their way across the halls of the hospital. They reached the floor where Brittany’s dad was situated but they were asked to wait at the lounge since there were too many people in the room.

“Do you guys want something? Juice? Coffee?” Santana asked as they waited

“I want juice!” Bianca said

“San, you don’t have you to. We’re fine. You can go,” Brittany whispered

“It’s fine, Britt.” Santana whispered back, “One juice. Coming right up!”

Santana walked off to the cafeteria. Before Brittany could get back to the magazine she was reading, an elderly woman beside her spoke to her.

“That child is adorable” the woman said

“Thanks. She can be quite a handful though,” Brittany said with a smile

“How long have you and your partner been together?”

“Uh…she’s not my partner. Uhm, she’s just my best friend” Brittany mumbled

“And I’m her sister. That girl a while ago was Santana. She and Britt are soul mates” Bianca interjected

The elderly lady chuckled making Brittany blush.

“Well, I think it’s adorable” the woman said

“Yeah. But sometimes they’re so mushy it makes me feel like I’m getting a toothache. Or at least that’s what our dad always says” Bianca said

Brittany felt her cheeks grow even warmer. But at the same time, it was a painful reminder of what isn’t. She and Santana weren’t together anymore. She and Santana were never gonna have babies together. She and Santana weren’t soul mates.

Before Bianca could say anything else, Santana returned with the juice. With the juice as a distraction, Bianca stopped talking and focused on her coloring book.

“Britt, I’m really sorry but I have to go. Call me if something new comes up?” Santana said.

“Sure thing,” Brittany said

Santana hugged Bianca and said goodbye

“Big B, where’s Santana going?” Bianca asked

“Santana has a date with someone” Brittany answered begrudgingly

“I don’t get it,” Bianca answered

“What do you mean?”

“Today’s Friday. And Friday is your and Santana’s date night. So why isn’t she going on a date with you?”

The question was innocent enough but it didn’t make it any less painful. Brittany held back the tears forming in her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Santana and I aren’t dating anymore. We’re just best friends so no more date nights”

“Oh…okay” Bianca shrugged.

Brittany sighed and saw the elderly lady giving her a sympathetic smile.

“Piece of advice, sweetie. Soul mates are forever. Sometimes you just have to knock some sense in to your partner and remind her about forever. It is, after all, a very long time”

“I don’t know. I mean, I’m sort of dating someone and she likes this other girl”

“Dating someone and liking someone is not the same as being in love with someone. Sure, you love this person now but soul mates are different. Soul mates are a once in a life time thing because they’re forever”

“I…what if she doesn’t take me back?” Brittany asked, her voice barely a whisper

“What if she does?” the elderly lady asked back, “You’re too young to be crippled by fear. Look at me. 63 years young and still kicking. You love her, don’t you?”

“With all my heart”

“Then the only question you need to answer is: is she worth it?”

With that, the elderly woman gave her a knowing smile before walking away. Brittany took one look at the bracelet on her wrist and knew there was only one answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There you goo! You guys know what to do. R&R please. I’m not sure if I wanna write in Santana and Sarah’s date because it might get too painful and I might end up making it really horrible because it’s not Brittana but WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? Btw, if you haven’t already, do check out my other fic PERFECT FOR ME. It’s a HeYa RPF fic ;)
> 
> Tumblr: my-breasts-ache-with-rage . tumblr . com


	10. Chapter 10

Santana stayed in her car for a good five minutes right outside of Breadsticks. There was a war going on inside of her. Her mind went back and forth from Brittany to Sarah. This wasn't a date. This wasn't a date. Santana repeated the words in her head as she stepped out of her car and into the restaurant. She caught sight of Sarah as soon as she entered Breadsticks. It was pretty hard to miss her considering her "too-big-for-Lima" presence. The red head was chatting it up with a waitress but somehow caught Santana's eye and sent the brunette a flirty wink from across the room. Santana pushed all her apprehensions away and walked towards Sarah. Before she could say anything, the waitress stopped her and eyed her from head to toe.

"Holy crap. It's Santana Lopez. How've you been, doll?"

Santana looked at the woman in front of her and a small smile formed across her face.

"New York has been awesome, Liz. Everything I've ever dreamt of and more" Santana replied

"I take it you're here often?" Sarah said

Santana nodded shyly and Liz let out a chuckle.

"All the time. Mostly with her glee mates" Liz teased, "Speaking of glee, no Brittany date tonight? I haven't seen that girl in a while"

Sarah's eyebrow went up at the sound of Brittany's name.

"Uhh…no. We actually broke up a few months ago. She's with Sam now though. They don't go here?" Santana replied stiffly

"Ohhh. You kids and the dating. Y'all are always switching it up, I'm getting confused," Liz said, "Anyways, Santana, I'll get you your usual"

Santana nodded and gave Liz a courteous mile

"Date night?" Sarah asked

"Uhh, yeah. Fridays were our date night and since Breadsticks was the only decent place in Lima, we'd always have dinner here then head out and do stuff" Santana said

Santana toyed with the condiments and kept her eyes on the table as Sarah studied her.

"You really loved her, didn't you?"

"She was supposed to be my soul mate," Santana shrugged

"Soul mate? Wow. That's big stuff," Sarah huffed

"We were in high school, give me a break. I mean, I will always love Brittany and she'll always be my Brittany but things didn't work out for a reason. We're better off as friends," Santana said.

"But you're still in love with her, right?"

Santana's head shot up. She eyed the red head and nodded cautiously.

"It's not that hard to put the pieces together, Santana" Sarah chuckled, "Though I have a feeling there's more to you than meets the eye" she continued.

"I'm a very complex person. More of complicated but whatever,"

"I can do complicated" Sarah said with a smirk.

Santana was taken aback. She was confused. What exactly did Sarah want from her?

"Hold up. I just told you that I'm still in love with my ex-girlfriend and you're proposing that we get together?"

Before Sarah could answer, their food arrived. Sarah took a sip of her mojito before nodding.

"Yeah. I like you, Santana. I think you're interesting"

"But I'm still sort of hung up on my ex…" Santana said with a confused tone

"I'm up for the the challenge"

"What challenge?"

"To make you forget about Brittany. To help you heal" Sarah said softly

Santana met the red head's eyes and saw earnest sincerity behind her words.

"Why would you go through all that trouble for me?" Santana asked

The girl let out a chuckle and put her hand on top of Santana's.

"Because my heart tells me you're worth it," she said.

Sarah smiled at Santana and she smiled back. For the first time since she broke up with Brittany, she felt something else other than pain. Hope.

"Dad? Dad? Can you hear me?" Brittany said softly.

Henry Pierce remained motionless. It was to be expected though. He'd been in a coma for the past 42 hours and the doctor said it would probably take a while before he woke up. Even though the doctors said his condition was improving, Brittany could feel her heart tighten at the sight of him. His lips were white and he had no color. The wounds and bruises hadn't fully healed and were looking worse by the hour. Brittany hadn't even touched him in fear of causing her dad more pain.

"I…I don't know if you can hear me but I really don't know what to do anymore, daddy," Brittany said softly.

The blonde carefully put her hand on top of her father's and allowed the tears to stream down her face for the first time.

"I'm so scared… I don't know what to do. I know mom's afraid. She doesn't show it but I…I know she's having a really hard time so I have to be the strong one but…it's so hard, daddy. I'm just me. I barely even made it through high school. What am I supposed to do?" Brittany sobbed.

She let out an exasperated sigh and laughed to herself.

"I'm such a mess, aren't I? Which is why I need you to wake up, daddy. I need you. I can't…I'm not ready for you to say goodbye. So please wake up. I need you. Mom needs you. Bianca needs you. Please…I know you're somewhere in there, daddy. Don't…don't go in to the light. People say that's what happens when you're dying. You go in to the light and then everything's okay but…please…don't."

Brittany stood up and went to the restroom. She washed her face and wiped away the tears. When she got out, she received two simultaneous texts from Sugar.

"Santana's with some ginger at Breadsticks. Do you want me to go welcome the new girl?"

"And by welcome, I mean totally bitch it out to her. She looks like trash. You are way hotter, Britt."

Brittany let out a chuckle. As much as she finds the idea amusing, Brittany knew better.

"Oh I know I'm hotter, Sugar. But please don't do anything"

She let out a sigh as she sat down beside her had. She'd almost forgotten about Santana's date with Sarah.

"Santana's in town, dad"

Brittany looked at her dad expecting some quirky remark about how he'll never see Brittany anymore now that's Santana's in town.

"Yeah…she's, uhm, with some girl named Sarah. They're on a date. Because, you know, we're not dating anymore so she can go and date other people" Brittany said.

Tears had started falling once again and she let out an exhausted sigh.

"But it's fine though. I mean, I'm fine with it…" Brittany said.

She closed her eyes and counted to ten.

"It hurts though," she said softly, "Seeing her with that girl. She seems so happy and…that used to me. I used to be the person who makes her happy. I used to be the only person that could make her laugh like that. But I guess things are different now…"

"I just wish…I knew how to be that person again. I feel like…I'm losing her. I mean, San' has friends but we…I…I was different. We always had our own little thing. I was…I was special to her and now…I'm not. I'm just…I'm nothing."

"Santana!" Sugar said.

"Oh hey, Sugar. I didn't see you there," Santana said, "This is Sarah. She works with Kurt in New York"

"Hi, nice to meet you" Sarah said with a smile.

Sugar rolled her eyes and turned to Santana.

"We're all going to the hospital to visit Brittany and her dad. I heard Kurt, Rachel and Quinn are all gonna be there. Wanna come with?" Sugar said.

"Uhm…"

"We should go, Santana. I'm sure Brittany would appreciate the support" Sarah said.

"I guess we can drop by for a few minutes," Santana said.

"Fine. Listen to her and not me," Sugar muttered.

"What?" Santana asked

"Nothing. I said, I'll see you there," Sugar said before rushing out of the restaurant.

Santana's eyes followed Sugar as she ran out of Breadsticks.

"Sorry about that. She's not usually this…odd. I swear, she's actually a sweet girl. She has Asperger's so Sugar literally has no filter" Santana chuckled.

"Nah, it's fine. We should go. Don't want to keep everyone waiting,"

When they arrived at the hospital, everyone was already there. All of the Glee kids, old and new, were present with the exception of Mike, Puck, Mercedes and Finn.

"Hey, so, what's the news?" Santana asked.

"Mr. Pierce is still in a coma but his vitals improved. They're still trying to figure out how they're gonna get that piece of metal stuck in his spine but I think they're waiting for his condition to- Who is that?" Tina asked.

All eyes fell upon Sarah who was standing behind Santana.

"I'm Sarah. I work with Kurt at Vogue," Sarah answered.

"Yeah. She and Santana are, like, dating now or something," Sugar scoffed.

"I leave you two alone for twenty four hours and suddenly you're dating?" Kurt said annoyingly, "Seriously, Santana? I work with her. Sarah, I expected so much more from you"

"I am right here, Lady Hummel and ouch, that actually hurts" Santana said.

"Santana and I are taking this one step at a time. And I think she's quite the catch," Sarah chuckled as she put her arm around Santana's waist making the brunette blush.

"Well, I for one find it miraculous that someone who isn't Brittany managed to tame Satan," Rachel said.

"Again, Berry. Right here" Santana sighed, "And besides, I thought we were here for Britt and her dad. So why the hell are we talking about me?"

"Santana's right. We can all gossip about Santana later. Where the hell is Brittany anyway?" Quinn said.

Everyone shrugged their shoulders and went back to doing what they were doing. Quinn sat down beside Santana and the brunette leaned in and whispered a thank you.

"So, you two, huh?" Quinn asked.

"I thought we were done with the prodding?" Santana replied.

"I'm your best friend. I have rights to details," Quinn said, "So how long has this thing been going on?"

"Give or take an hour?" Santana shrugged.

"I'm very persuasive," Sarah grinned.

"Well, I'm glad you two are happy. Just take care of this one, Sarah"

"Any tips, Quinn?" Sarah asked

"Have lots of coffee" Quinn said.

Sarah let out a laugh while Santana shook her head in disbelief.

"Hey, I'm serious! This girl is ADDICTED to coffee. Seriously. She doesn't function without it," Quinn laughed.

"Hey, they found Britt. She apparently went and bought food in the cafeteria" Kurt said.

"At least she's eating. That's a plus," Santana said.

"Hey, I'm gonna go buy water, kay? I'll be back," Sarah said.

"I'll go with you," Santana said.

"Babe, it's fine. Catch up with your friends."

Brittany had spent the past 10 minutes in front of a vending machine trying to choose a drink. She'd been too distracted at the thought of Santana and Sarah together that she couldn't focus.

"So wacha getting?"

Brittany turned and saw Sarah standing next to her looking through the drinks in the machine.

"Not quite sure yet," Brittany mumbled.

Sarah nodded and turned to Brittany.

"I actually wanted to talk to you but really, this is me just telling you things"

"What'd you wanna say?" Brittany said as she pushed a button.

"Stay away from Santana"

"Excu—"

"You aren't good enough for her, Brittany. Let's face it. We both know Santana belongs somewhere big. She's amazing and she can do so many amazing things out there in the real world where people can appreciate her greatness. She can have the perfect life with everything she's ever wanted. Fame, fortune, people adoring her and you're not part of that life. No, let me change that. You don't belong in that life. And as long as you're in the picture, Santana can't have that"

"What are you…"

"You're holding her back, Brittany. Even after she's left this forsaken place, Santana still has to continuously worry about you and your helpless ass. I mean, you guys are broken up and yet you depend on her like some little child. Santana was meant to do great things, Brittany. Even you're not stupid enough to miss that fact. So, I'm asking you to search your heart and cling on to whatever semblance of love you have left for Santana and let her go. It's what's best for the both of you."

Brittany was close to tears. Every thing Sarah was saying was true. But she couldn't accept them. Call her stupid, call her crazy but she wasn't gonna let go of Santana. Every day of her life people had always told her that she wasn't good enough and she wasn't gonna give this girl the satisfaction.

"Just let it go" Sarah said.

Brittany looked up from the floor with teary eyes and met Sarah's gaze.

"Never"

Brittany picked up her drink and walked away. She held on to the bottle tightly. She wasn't gonna let go. Not without a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There ya go! Hope you guys like this one :D Doing a time jump for the next chapter. I’m telling you guys right now that the next chapter will be set around “I Do”. Britt is still with Sam and now Sarah and Santana are together. Btw, I CAN’T BELIEVE GLEE GOT RENEWED. I HATE IT..
> 
> Tumblr: with-feelings-its-better . tumblr . com


	11. (Part 1)

[Part 1]

SANTANA

This was a bad idea. I shuffled my feet so that I was leaning on my luggage.

"I'm telling you this is a really bad idea," I said.

"Oh shut up, Santana. This is Mr. Schue's wedding," Kurt said.

"We have to be there. We're family, remember?" Rachel added.

I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh. Ever since I moved to New York 6 weeks ago, I'd grown quite fond of the dwarf and lady Hummel. To be honest, I've always thought of them as family. I just never thought the day would come when I'd actually be seen alive acting like it.

"Please don't say it out loud. I have a reputation to uphold, Berry" I chuckled.

Rachel gave me a knowing look and just walked on.

"Now come on. We don't wanna miss our flight" Rachel said.

I grinned and followed behind her.

* * *

Part of me was actually excited to go back home and see everyone. But then a part of me terribly wanted to crawl back to our apartment in New York and just drown myself in schoolwork. I'd overheard Kurt and Rachel talking last week about how Sam and Brittany would be attending the wedding together. They didn't brought it up in front of me, to protect me I assume, and I didn't mean to listen in on them…it's just that, I heard them talking about Brittany and I just had to. It's not that…it's not that I'm still in love with her or anything. It's just that Britt's my best friend and obviously, I want to know what's going on in my best friend's life.

We easily found our seats once we got on the plane. Ohio isn't exactly big on the whole tourist thing so not that many people were on the flight. I'd originally intended on flying coach but Rachel's dads threw a hissy fit and insisted that they upgrade my ticket to business class. It was weird. It was like having another set of parents. It was extremely weird. But the good kind.

"Hey, Santana" Kurt whispered.

"What's up?" I answered

"Is it true you're singing at the wedding?"

I sat up and turned to Kurt.

"Yeah…How'd you know?"

"Blaine told me. We're singing a duet, you know"

"So you and Mr. Bowtie are chatting it up again?" I asked.

"We're just friends, Santana" Kurt replied flatly.

"Okay. And what about your imported "friend" from across the pond?"

"Adam knows about me and Blaine and he understands. We're not exactly exclusive."

"That's not the point, Kurt" I said, "Adam's not your consolation prize, he isn't anyone's. Neither are you"

"You're right, Santana. So how 'bout you put Sarah out of her misery and let her go. She isn't a consolation prize, either"

Before I could respond, Kurt got up and headed towards the back. I almost called after him but I kept quiet. He was right. The past few weeks with Sarah have been amazing but a certain blonde remained glued to the back of my mind. I closed my eyes and tried to get some sleep. This was gonna be a long weekend.

* * *

"Santana! Where's your hot ginger?"

I turned around and sly smile formed on my face.

"I don't know. Wanna be her replacement?" I grinned.

I cocked my eyebrows and put on a sexy smirk but ended up laughing.

"It's good to see you again, Q" I said.

I walked over to Quinn and pulled her in for a hug.

"Nice to see you too, San" Quinn replied, "But seriously, how are things with Sarah?"

"Oh you know…same old, same old" I shrugged.

"Not over Britt yet, I see" Quinn chuckled.

"Shut up, Fabgay!" I said, slapping her arm lightly.

"You wanna go down that road again, Lopez?" Quinn asked.

"No way. That slap was a fucking bitch" I said.

"I still can't believe I'm here. I have like, finals next week"

"Let me guess… Berry?" I scoffed.

"YES!" Quinn sighed, "She called me a hundred times demanding that I be here for this wedding even though I'd already told Mr. Schue that I wouldn't be able to come"

"Please. I have to live with that loud mouth of hers everyday so you got off easy," I said, "Come on. We better find our seats,"

* * *

I linked my arm around Quinn's and went to our seats. The minute we sat down, I caught sight of golden locks a few pews down. She was here and she looked stunning. She was having a hard time taking off her coat and I bit down on my lower lip repressing my need to walk over and help her out. I looked beside her and saw Sam chatting with the person beside him. I rolled my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. Such a gentleman, Sammy. Brittany caught sight of me and gave me a small smile. Sam finally caught on and turned to me, nodding slightly before putting his arms around my…er...Brittany.

"This hasn't even started yet and I'm already over it," I sighed.

"I really don't see the point in these big weddings. I mean, half of marriages end in divorce anyways so why bother spending all this money if you're gonna get divorced?" Quinn said.

"Trouble in paradise?" I smirked.

"I really don't wanna hear it, Santana"

"Oh come on! I'm your friend, Quinn. I'd much rather listen to your tragic love story than listen to Mr. Schue and Mayor of Virginville proclaim their undying love for one another,"

"I'll tell you later," Quinn whispered, "Now shut up, it's about to start and I don't want people to look at us"

* * *

BRITTANY

The wedding wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Most weddings take forever with all the drama but this one was different. It was a simple private affair. Truthfully, I was glad Mr. Schue and Ms. Pillsburry decided to make the wedding a small one since I nearly fell asleep at the last one I went to.

"And now, the couple will read the vows they'd written for this special occasion"

I brought out my camera and hit record. I promised Mr. Schue that I'd film

this part after he asked me about it a few weeks ago. I zoomed in and focused on Mr. Schue who spoke first.

"Emma, our relationship was never easy. When we first met, I was married but even then I knew you were special," Mr. Schue began, "I know…it took us a while but we're here now. We're together and that's what matters. And I know it's not gonna be easy but that's okay. I'll keep on fighting for you…for us. Because I love you so no matter how hard it gets, it'll all be worth it because I'm doing it for you."

* * *

_"Santana, you don't have to do anything" I said._

" _Yes, I do. The ad is gonna air tonight and people are gonna find out anyways," Santana sighed._

_It'd been 2 days since we found out about the campaign ad that was gonna out Santana so we'd spent those days trying to minimize the damage. Santana had already come out to her parents and they accepted her for who she was. It was hard though because Santana's abuela had rejected her and even know Santana won't say it, I know she's hurting a lot more than she let on._

_"Babe, does this have anything to do with your abuela?" I said softly._

_Santana turned to me and rest her head on my shoulder. She placed a kiss on skin and intertwined her fingers with mine._

" _I just…I wanted this to come out on my own terms, you know? This ad sort of bumped everything up and ruined my plan," Santana replied_

" _You had a plan?"_

" _Of course I did, silly" Santana chuckled._

" _What was it?" I asked._

" _I was gonna come out right after we won nationals. I was planning on kissing you on stage,"_

" _That's cute," I chuckled, "But wait, how do you know we're gonna win nationals?"_

" _Because we're the best team, Britt. We're trouble for the other teams, remember?" Santana grinned._

_I let out a chuckled and Santana nuzzled further in to me._

" _So you're really gonna tell the team?" I said, "What if they don't accept it and bully the both of us? You know, I hate violence"_

" _I won't let any of that happen. Especially not to you," Santana promised._

" _But San…just say, what if"_

" _Then we'll fight through it. I'm not gonna let a bunch of bigoted people ruin what we have,"_

" _I don't like it when you get in to fights," I said quietly, "You could get hurt. And besides, it's not worth it,"_

" _You're worth it," Santana whispered in to my ear._

* * *

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I flinched when I felt someone's hand brush against mine. It was Sam. He gave me a sheepish smile and took the camera out of my mind. Apparently, I'd been shaking. I gave him a small smile and faced front.

"Will, God. I haven't even started and I'm already crying," Ms. Pillsburry chuckled, "Anyways, I know the road to now hasn't been easy. We've had a lot of ups and downs but through it all, we stuck by each other. And I believe you when you say that come high or low, you will fight for us so I want you to know that I'll be right there with you. I never thought it was possible for me to love someone the way I love you but yet, here you are and here I am, hopelessly in love with you. And because of that, I believe anything's possible"

I flinched at her words. I turned around and saw Santana with a straight face. No one else seemed to notice but I caught it. A single tear fell down her face which she quickly dried subtly. I felt a lump form in my throat. The words rang in my ears. Those were the very words I'd told her two years ago when we lost at Nationals.

* * *

" _I love you, Santana. More than I've ever loved anyone else in this world and because of that, I believe anything's possible" I said._

_Santana smiled and pulled me in for a hug._

_"You're my best friend," she whispered._

_"You're my best friend too," I said._

_Santana pulled away rather quickly and gave me a sad smile._

_"When did you get so smart?" she chuckled._

_"Duh," I grinned._

_Santana offered her pinky and I took it, wrapping mine around hers._

* * *

Looking back now, her words have a different meaning. I brushed off that sad smile as sadness because of our loss at nationals but now I knew different. Santana didn't want to _ **just**_ be my best friend. Sam intertwined his hand with mine and kissed the back of my hand. I pretended not to notice but I could feel the skin where his lips touched burn. I looked at our hands resting on my leg and back to Santana who seemed to be avoiding everyone's gaze.

_**I don't wanna be just her best friend too.** _


	12. Part 2

 

Warning: SEXY TIMES

* * *

PART TWO

Santana was shaking. When Coach Bieste asked if she could sing at Will and Emma's wedding, she agreed immediately without really thinking it through. Now that she was five minutes away from performing, she'd suddenly gotten nervous. She was singing an original song. Santana never really got the chance to sing this song in glee club when they had their songwriting sessions. Looking at the crowd from the side of the stage, Santana's suddenly reminded of why she didn't sing this song before. She'd been too afraid. Too afraid because the song showed her inner thoughts, her inner feelings. Feelings she tried so hard to push away but eventually, it all became too much so she wrote a song about it. This song. When Coach Bieste asked if she could write a love song, she knew she didn't have any other choice but to sing this one.

"And now, for a very special performance, we have Santana Lopez singing an original song," Coach Bieste announced.

Santana walked up the stage and took her place in the center. She flashed a bright smile while everyone burst in to applause.

"This is actually the first song I wrote. I wrote this a while back so forgive me if it's not that good," Santana chuckled, "Now, a little background. As you all know, I used to be one of Mr. Schue's glee kids. I watched Mr. Schue and Ms. Pillsbury…well; Mr. and Mrs. Schuester fall in love and stay with each other through up and down. This song is about finding that one person you'll love all your life," Santana said.

Santana scanned the crowd; her eyes caught sight of familiar blue orbs and she couldn't bring herself to look away.

"Forever and always," Santana said softly as the music began.

_Looks like we made it_

_Look how far we've come my baby_

_We mighta took the long way_

_We knew we'd get there someday_

_They said, "I bet they'll never make it"_

_But just look at us holding on_

_We're still together still going strong_

Santana closed her eyes and swayed to the beat.

* * *

_**Santana slowly made her way towards Brittany's locker. They'd sung a song together in glee club just like they'd planned. What Santana hadn't counted on, was what singing would do to her. She'd been thinking about what to do ever since that last note. But deep down she knew there was only one answer. She had to be honest with herself and to Brittany. The blonde deserved that much.** _

" _ **Hey, can we talk?" Santana said.**_

" _ **But we never do that," Brittany mumbled.**_

" _ **I know, but I wanted to thank you for performing that song with me in glee club. Because it's made me do a lot of thinking," Santana sighed, "And what I realized is why I'm such a bitch all the time. I'm a bitch because I'm angry. Angry because I have all these feelings... feelings for you that I'm afraid of dealing with cause I'm afraid of dealing with the consequences. And Brittany, I can't go to an Indigo Girls concert. I just can't," Santana rambled on.**_

_**She stopped midsentence and bit down on her lower lip.** _

" _ **Do you understand what I'm trying to say here?" Santana asked.**_

" _ **No, not really,"**_

" _ **I wanna be with you. But I'm afraid of the talks and the looks. I mean, you know what happened to Kurt at this school"**_

" _ **But honey, if anybody were to ever make fun of you, you would kick their ass or slash them with your vicious, vicious words"**_

" _ **Yeah, I know" Santana cried, "but I'm afraid of what everyone will say behind my back. Still I have to accept that I love you. I love you and I don't want to be with Sam or Finn or any of those guys. I just want you. Please say you love me back. Please," Santana pleaded.**_

" _ **Of course I love you. I do" Brittany breathed out.**_

_**Santana let out a sigh of relief.** _

' _ **She loves me back,' Santana thought to herself.**_

_**She actually wanted to smile but Brittany opened her mouth and continued speaking.** _

" _ **And I would totally be with you if it weren't for Artie," Brittany continued.**_

* * *

Santana opened her eyes and saw that Brittany was still looking at her. She forced herself to look away. She focused on Will and Emma in front who were smiling lovingly at each other while swaying to the music.

 _(You're still the one)_  
You're still the one I run to  
The one that I belong to  
You're still the one I want for life  
(You're still the one)  
You're still the one that I love  
The only one I dream of  
You're still the one I kiss good night

Santana felt a lump form behind her throat. The last few words of the chorus were mumbled as she felt herself tearing up.

* * *

" _ **Britt, I have to go. My captain's gonna kill me if I'm late," Santana said.**_

" _ **Alright. Good luck, Sanny" Brittany sighed.**_

" _ **Hey, I love you. Don't ever forget that, okay?" Santana said softly.**_

_**Brittany's eyes lit up and she giggled.** _

" _ **I love you too. Why would I forget it? Forever and always, remember?"**_

" _ **Forever and always" Santana echoed, "Now I really gotta go"**_

" _ **Santana, wait!"**_

" _ **What now, B?"**_

" _ **You owe me a goodnight kiss," Brittany said.**_

" _ **Britt, I am not gonna kiss you through my laptop,"**_

" _ **San.." Brittany pouted.**_

" _ **Don't do that," Santana said, "Britt, baby, don't pout…Ugh..fine."**_

_**Brittany chuckled and gave Santana a loving look.** _

_**Santana sighed and smiled to herself. She was acting like a fool but she couldn't care less.** _

" _ **Goodnight, Britt" Santana cooed.**_

_**She leaned down and kissed the laptop screen.** _

" _ **Night, Sanny"**_

" _ **Two more weeks and I get to kiss you goodnight for real,"**_

* * *

_Ain't nothin' better_

_We beat the odds together_

_I'm glad we didn't listen_

_Look at what we would be missin'_

_They said, "I bet they'll never make it"_

_But just look at us holding on_

_We're still together still going strong_

Santana sang through the tears streaming down her face. She caught sight of two blonde figures walking out of the hall. Brittany and Sam. She sighed to herself and pushed away all thoughts. She needed to get through this song and after that, she can hit the bar with Quinn.

_(You're still the one)_

_You're still the one I run to_

_The one that I belong to_

_You're still the one I want for life_

_(You're still the one)_

_You're still the one that I love_

_The only one I dream of_

_You're still the one I kiss good night_

_You're still the one_

Santana extended the last word until the very last note. Everyone stood up and burst in to applause. She smiled and subtly wiped away her tears. She caught sight of Rachel standing at the side with a worried look on her face. Santana bowed once and exited the stage where she was met by Rachel and Quinn.

"Santana…" Rachel began

"Do you want some water?" Quinn asked.

"Water…would be good," Santana answered.

Quinn nodded and looked at Rachel before leaving.

"I really don't wanna talk about it, Rachel" Santana said softly

"We don't have to talk about it now," Rachel said, "But we have to talk about this, Santana"

"No, we don't" Santana shot back.

"Yes, we do! You are like a sister to me, Santana and kills me to see you so…"

"So what, Rachel?"

"Broken. Incomplete. There are many other terms in my arsenal to describe your current condition but we'll leave it at that" Rachel said.

Before Santana could respond, Quinn arrived with a glass of water. She handed the water to Santana but she could feel the tension between the two brunettes.

"I told you to hold off the intervention talk till I got back," Quinn said.

"You guys are intervening? There's nothing wrong with me" Santana retorted.

"Yeah, there is. But it's fine. We'll help you through it, S" Quinn said.

"Because that's what families do for each other," Rachel added.

"Thank,' Santana said, "I think"

Santana let out a chuckled and turned to the two.

"Now, if you guys don't mind, I really wanna go up to my room and just be alone for a while" Santana said.

"Sure thing, S" Quinn replied.

"Don't forget that our flight leaves at 8:30am so we have to be at the airport by 6:30"

"I already set my alarm, Rach. You two have fun," Santana said.

* * *

Santana got up and walked aimlessly.

"Britt, hold up!" Sam shouted.

Brittany ignored him and walked faster. She didn't even bother drying her tears. They weren't gonna stop any time soon anyways. She walked on until she was far enough from the reception and from any one else for that matter. Brittany let out a strangled sigh and tried to control her crying.

"Britt, what's wrong? Are you not feeling well?" Sam asked.

Sam reached out and tried to hold Brittany but Britt flinched before he could even touch her and backed away.

"I can't…I can't do this anymore, Sam" Brittany sobbed.

"Do what, B? Just tell me what to do" Sam pleaded.

"This… Us… I can't…" Brittany said softly, "I can't pretend that everything's okay because it's not,"

"Wait…what…what are you saying?" Sam said, his voice faltering.

"This isn't right and you know it," Brittany said.

"Are you…are you breaking up with me?" Sam asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Brittany looked at him for the first time. His usually bright eyes were dull and filled with pain.

"Yes, Sam. I'm breaking up with you," Brittany breathed out.

Silence.

Sam nodded absentmindedly trying to absorb her words. He turned around and walked away. Brittany felt her heart break. She'd never been so cruel in her life. Just as she was about to turn the other way, Sam backtracked and walked towards her.

"Promise me you won't let go of her this time. Promise me you'll hold on to her forever and never let go, Britt. Never, you hear?" Sam whispered in to her ear.

"Never" Brittany echoed.

* * *

Santana had been drinking at the bar for a good half hour now. She can still hear the sound of celebration and music coming from the reception down the hall. She downed her drink and motioned for another one to the bartender.

"Hey, Sugar," a man said.

Santana sat a little straighter and looked at the guy. The bartender came and placed the drink in front of her.

"This one's on me, baby" he said.

Santana smirked and raised her glass to him.

"So you got a name?" the man said.

"Rosario Cruz. Might be related to Penelope," Santana said.

"Well, you're obviously the prettier cousin," he chuckled.

He shuffled closer to her and placed a hand on her thigh.

"Get off her you creep"

The man stumbled backwards, spilling his drink in the process.

"Who do you think you are?" the man shouted.

"I'm her girl—best friend. Keep your disgusting paws off her," Brittany said.

"Britt, what the hell are you—" Santana said

"Stop it. We're going up to your room," Brittany said.

Brittany glared at the man and helped Santana up. Brittany put her arms around Santana's waist and carried most of her weight.

"I'm fine, Britt. Let go of me," Santana argued.

"You're drunk. You need to go to bed," Brittany said.

"I'm going to bed only to get away from you," Santana hissed.

She broke free from Brittany's hold and walked towards room. Brittany couldn't help but feel hurt by what Santana did. But regardless of the Latina's words, Brittany followed Santana.

* * *

"What are you still doing here, Britt? I thought I said I wanted to get away from you," Santana said.

"I wanted to make sure you were fine," Brittany replied.

Santana rolled her eyes and opened the mini-bar. She brought out all the alcohol and opened a bottle of Vodka.

"Stop drinking, Santana. You're drunk enough as it is!" Brittany said.

"You don't get to tell me what to do, Britt. You're not my _girlfriend_."

Brittany flinched but she took the bottle from Santana anyways.

"What the hell were you doing with that guy anyway, huh?" Brittany asked.

Santana just shrugged and lied down on the bed.

"Were you gonna have sex with him, Santana?!" Brittany said, her voice a little louder, "Were you?!"

"I don't know, Brittany! I don't know. Maybe," Santana shouted back, "Whether or not I was gonna sleep with him, that's none of your business,"

"You weren't gonna sleep with him. You…you wouldn't," Brittany said shakily.

"How would you know, Britt?" Santana challenged.

"Because I know you…and you would…you'd never do that. You promised," Brittany mumbled.

Tears had started falling down Brittany's face. She knew Santana would never do that. She'd promised her. Santana promised that Brittany would be her last. Her first and her last. Those were her words.

"Well then maybe you don't know me as well as you thought you did,"

"Why are you doing this, San? Do you…do you hate me?"

Santana let out a strangled laugh and shook her head.

"I don't hate you, Britt. As a matter of fact, I love you. I love you so fucking much and that's the problem," Santana cried, "I don't know how to function properly without you…I…I can't"

"You don't have to, San" Brittany said.

Brittany walked towards Santana and reached out for her.

"I don't wanna be _just_ your best friend. I love you, Santana. I love you and I don't like this break. I didn't like it when we were in that un-official break up and I don't like it now," Brittany said, "Can we please go back to being us?"

Santana closed her eyes and took a deep breath. If this happened a few weeks earlier, she would probably be making love to Brittany right now. But it's happening right now which makes it a completely different story. She loves Brittany. She knows she will always Brittany, which is why she can't do this. There's so much to lose and she can't break. She won't.

"No," Santana said, her voice barely a whisper.

Santana's voice was softer than the wind but Brittany heard it loud and clear. Brittany felt her entire world collapsing in front of her. Santana doesn't want her anymore.

"But…but I love you. I love you, Santana," Brittany said.

Brittany took hold of Santana's hands and tried to meet the brunette's gaze.

"Please say you love me back..." Brittany begged, "Please? Santana… I love you. This…this is the part where you say 'I love you too, Britt'. Say it…please"

"Do you really?" Santana said weakly.

Brittany was taken aback by her words. Santana…didn't…didn't believe her?

"What…what do you mean? Of course I love you, San!"

"Right. Just like how you love Sam? Just like how you love Artie? You love me just like you love them, isn't that right?"

"What?! No—"

"So when you told me that you couldn't be with me because you loved Artie too, you were lying?!"

"No, I did love him…but I… It's not the same, Santana. The way I love you and the way I loved Sam and Artie. It's not the same," Brittany said, "It'll never be the same with anyone else"

"I don't know, Britt. Clearly you loved Sam enough to marry him,"

"It wasn't real… I thought…I thought the world was ending!"

"Exactly. You thought the world was ending and yet you chose to spend your last days married to guy you claim not to love the same way you love me," Santana said, "Well, he is one lucky guy if you chose to die with him"

"Santana, don't be like this" Brittany begged, "Why are you making this so hard for us?"

Santana sighed and lifted Brittany's chin to meet her gaze.

"You still don't get it, do you? I love you, Britt. I built my entire life around you. I have been ever since we were six. But you…you can move on. You can decide to pack up your bags and leave me. And you'll still find happiness,"

"But I already told you…"

"I know what you said. And I want to believe you, I do. But I've seen you with Artie. I've seen you with Sam. And you can be happy Britt. Someone else can make all those dreams come true for you. Marriage, kids, the house with bright red door and the white picket fence, the big backyard…all of it. Someone else can make that happen for you. Someone better than me," Santana said, "But me? I don't have that choice. So I can't do this, Britt. Not—"

"What do I need to do? Tell me what I need to do for us to be okay again and I'll do it…"

Santana held back more tears.

"Britt…"

* * *

Brittany closed her eyes and tried to shut her out. She wasn't gonna lose Santana. She can't. She doesn't know how to say it but she can't live without Santana too. She can, but she doesn't want to. Brittany opened her eyes, tears streaming down her face, leaned in and close the gap between them.

Brittany put her hands around Santana's waist and pulled the brunette closer to her. Santana was surprised by the sudden contact but eventually allowed it. She closed her eyes and melted in to the kiss. The tears had started falling now.

_"Just this once" Santana thought_

Santana palmed Brittany's breasts and heard the blonde moan in to her mouth. Brittany's hands played along Santana's skin, sending jolts of electricity across the Latina's body.

"Too many clothes," Brittany whispered.

She unzipped Santana's dress in one fluid motion and the brunette did the same to hers. Their lips locked once more as Brittany lifted Santana and walked towards the bed. Brittany pushed Santana back down, hovering over her. Brittany looked down at the girl underneath her. Brittany traced her features softly with her fingers. From her dark eyes, hazed with lust to her perky breasts falling out of black lingerie, down to her toned abs contracting beneath her touch. Brittany's fingers danced around Santana's inner thigh, teasing the brunette.

"Britt…"

Brittany leaned in and captured Santana's lips in to another kiss. It was sloppy and wet but they couldn't care less. They just needed to taste each other and feel one another. Brittany kissed every inch of her body until she reached her breasts. Santana propped herself up using her elbows and Brittany immediately took off her bra, throwing it across the room. Brittany immediately captured an erect nipple in her mouth and played with the other using her fingers. Santana threw her head back and closed her eyes shut.

"Fuck," Santana moaned.

Brittany continued her ministrations on Santana's breasts and moved her hands towards Santana's center. She slid one finger up and down the brunette's cloth covered slit and could feel her wetness soaking through.

"You're so wet, San" Brittany whispered to Santana.

Her other hand was still caressing one of Santana's nipples while the other made slow circular motions on the brunette's clit. Santana arched in to her touch, desperate for more friction. Brittany found her pulse point and began kissing her neck.

Brittany put aside Santana's underwear and inserted two fingers making Santana squirm. Brittany used her thumb to make circles on Santana's clit, her fingers still unmoving. Santana began rocking herself to try and get Brittany's fingers deeper.

"Fucking shit. Move your damn fingers, Britt" Santana hissed.

Brittany smirked and began pumping her fingers slowly in to Santana.

"Always so demanding, Sanny" Brittany said softly.

Santana clenched her fists, her body falling deeper in to the mattress as she lifted her center and spread her legs to give Brittany better access.

"Faster, Britt. Faster..." Santana moaned.

Brittany pumped her fingers faster feeling her own arousal grow stronger. Before she knew it, Santana stopped her, pulling Brittany on top of her.

"What the-?"

"Together, Britt," Santana breathed out.

Brittany nodded and quickly took off her underwear. She kissed Santana's sex before moving upwards and positioning herself. Santana had closed her eyes in anticipation as she tried to hold off her orgasm.

"Keep your eyes opened, San"

Santana opened her eyes as Brittany's center met hers. Both of them gasp at the sensation. Brittany began a slow rocking rhythm, which quickly hastened. Santana sat up and pulled Brittany in for a kiss. Their pace becomes erratic and rushed. Brittany feels the pit in her stomach explode and Santana quickly follows her over the edge.

They lay on top of each other for a while. Santana squirmed underneath her and Brittany lay down beside her. Santana faced the other way and Brittany put her arm around Santana. Brittany kissed Santana's neck and nuzzled in to her.

"I love you, Santana. I'll do whatever it takes to prove to you that there's no one else"

Santana felt tears form once again in her eyes. She closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep. After a while, she drifted off in to a deep slumber.

* * *

When Brittany woke up the next morning, she was naked and alone. She felt sore as soon as she sat up and she suddenly remember what transpired the night before. She and Santana made love. She smiled at the memory.

"San?" Brittany called out.

She stood up, covered in sheets, and saw that Santana's things were gone. Panic crept up her spine.

"She wouldn't leave…" Brittany muttered to herself.

She caught sight of a piece of paper on the side table. She sat down on the bed and opened it. Something fell on her lap. Brittany picked it up and immediately recognized it. It was Santana's bracelet. The same one she'd given the brunette nearly 5 years ago when they first made love. She looked at the paper again and read the words written on it.

_**GOODBYE, BRITT.** _

* * *

 


	13. Chapter 13

Brittany ran out of her dance class as soon as the instructor dismissed them. Things at Juilliard were going great. Her classes weren't as hard as she thought they'd be. The only thing was, she was working part time at a local Starbucks. She entered Juilliard on scholarship but cost of living in New York wasn't exactly cheap. Her parents gave her more than enough money but a part of her wanted to gain some independence. She started out as a barista but the coffee recipes confused her so the manager moved her to cashier duties that suited Brittany perfectly.

Things were rather slow when she first arrived but the pace soon picked up. It was nearing 5pm and people were either going home or just starting their day. Brittany put on her brightest smile and got to work. She saw a lot of familiar faces in the crowd, people she'd gotten to know in the two weeks she'd been working here.

"How you doing, Mrs. R? The usual for you?" Brittany said

"I'm doing fine, dear. And yes, the usual for me," the woman answered, "How's the apartment hunt coming?"

"The big zero," Brittany replied, "That'll be $2.99"

The woman handed her a $5 bill and told her to keep the change. Brittany smiled and said a quick thank you. It wasn't unusual for the customers to give her tips. As a matter of fact, another reason why the manager placed her at the cashier was because of the amount of tips she was bringing in. People naturally liked Brittany and actually liked giving her tips.

"Hi, my name's Brittany" she said, "Welcome to Starbucks! What can I get for you?"

"I'll have a grande Green Tea Frappe," the man said with an accent.

Brittany chuckled to herself and punched in the entry.

"You have a funny accent," Brittany said," That'll be $3.50"

"Well, I'm from across the pond," the man chuckled, "My name's Adam"

"Nice to meet you, Adam from across the pond," Brittany said.

"Say, uh, I couldn't help but overhear that you're looking for an apartment," Adam said, "I believe I can help you with that. What time do you get off? We can talk about it"

Brittany checked the clock on the wall and saw the time.

"15 minutes ago actually," Brittany chuckled, "I'll just finish the line and clock out,"

"Great. See you in a bit then," Adam replied.

* * *

Adam, who was a student at NYADA, turned out to be much nicer than Brittany had expected. He was living in a 3-½-bedroom apartment with his boyfriend and his best friend. When Adam said he had a boyfriend, Brittany didn't even flinch. She'd already figured it out the second he gave his order. His eyebrows were waxed a little too perfectly and his hands were softer than usual. Picking up on these things was one of the many things she'd learned from Kurt back in high school. The thought of Kurt suddenly made her feel a bit nostalgic.

"So, your boyfriend and his best friend, do you think they'll like me?" Brittany asked nervously.

"Of course they will," Adam said reassuringly, "I highly doubt anyone is capable of not liking you"

Adam opened the door to the lift and motioned for Brittany to enter first. Enclosed spaces were never Brittany's thing so she took a deep breath and counted slowly in her head. Adam looked over to her and noticed her ministrations.

"I find that singing is much more helpful than counting," he said softly.

Brittany looked up at him with an embarrassed look.

"You noticed that, huh?"

"I've got it too, actually," Adam said, "My parents sent me to see a therapist to help me get over it."

"So you don't get that tightening feeling anymore?"

"Well, sometimes," Adam said as he stepped out of the lift, "I just have better control of it now so I don't get attacks,"

"That seems really useful,"

"I can help you some time. Give you a couple tips and maybe do some exercises," Adam said," So…ready to meet your new room mates?"

* * *

Adam opened the door and let Brittany in.

"Kurt, Rachel, I'm home and I've brought a guest with me" Adam shouted.

Brittany took a step back and examined the room.

_'Did he just say Kurt and Rachel?' Brittany thought_

"Adam, sweetie, what did I say about bringing home random 'friends' from…"

Kurt stopped dead in his tracks dropping his glass of water on the floor. Rachel came rushing in at the sound of the breakage.

"Kurt, what on earth is wrong with…" Rachel said, "Oh…"

Adam raised his eyebrows curiously as he watched the scene before him unfold.

"Do you all know each other?" he asked.

Kurt and Rachel exchanged looks and were dumbfounded.

"Yeah, I'm not entirely sure what's wrong with these two but yes, we do know each other," Brittany said, "We all went to high school together. I…uh… graduated a year late though"

"Oh so you must know San—"

"Santa! Yeah. Brittany here believes in Santa" Kurt interceded.

Adam gave him a weird look but Kurt subtly told him to just drop the matter. The Briton simply shook his head and let the matter go.

"So, Britt, what are you doing here?" Rachel asked.

"Well, Adam said you guys were looking for a room mate"

"Yeah, I mean, since you guys already know each other, there really shouldn't be a problem," Adam said.

The four had moved to the living room and settled on the couch.

"So you're staying in New York?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah, I got accepted to Juilliard actually. My scholarship included lodging but my roomie's a nightmare."

"Quite impressive, actually. Julliard is a tough school let alone getting there on a scholarship," Adam said.

"I'm not really surprised. Despite your academic deficiencies, you always were a flawless dancer," Rachel said.

"Oh God, do you remember Britney week? That was hot," Kurt said.

"Well, I don't know about you Kurt but my favorite performance of Britt's was when she danced with Mike in Santana's perf—"

Brittany noticeably froze up a bit at the sound of Santana's name. Rachel stopped herself after a rather hard and subtle kick to the shin by Kurt. Adam eyed his boyfriend curiously before turning to Brittany.

"You okay?" Adam asked.

"Yeah," Brittany responded shakily, "Just a little tired from my shift, I guess"

"Brittany, I'm sorry…I had no idea—"

"Rach, it's fine," Brittany said, "It's nearly been a year,"

The words tasted like acid on her mouth. She can't believe it's nearly been a year since she and Santana had broken up. She hadn't spoken to the brunette in months. Not since Valentine's when Santana had left after…after they'd made love for what seemed like the last time.

"But I should go. It was great seeing you guys again," Brittany continued.

As she was walking to the door, Kurt spoke up.

"Britt, when can you move your things?"

Brittany turned around with a confused look.

"You guys still want me to be your room mate?" Brittany asked.

"Of course, silly," Rachel said, "We are family after all"

Brittany simply grinned and headed for the door.

"I'll text you guys this weekend,"

* * *

As soon as the lift had gone, Adam turned to Kurt and Rachel with a pointed look.

"Care to tell me what's going on?" Adam said.

"Going on where? There's nothing going on" Rachel said quickly, "Who wants some take out?"

"Real smooth, Rachel," Kurt sighed.

"You know I hate conflict," Rachel groaned.

"Conflict? Between who?" Adam asked.

Kurt and Rachel exchanged looks leaving Adam more confused than ever.

"Brittany and Santana used to date in high school," Kurt began.

"Finn and Rachel dated in high school and they're fine," Adam said.

"True but Finn and I were nothing like Brittany and Santana-"

"No one is like Brittany and Santana," Kurt interjected.

"How so?" Adam asked.

"They're soul mates," Rachel answered.

"Soul mates? You've got to be kidding me," Adam scoffed.

"Look, as insane as it sounds, they were, are soul mates." Kurt said.

"Well, if they are soul mates, then why aren't they together?" Adam asked, "I mean, isn't Santana shagging that photographer chick Samantha or something?"

"Her name's Sarah and yes, Santana is 'shagging' her," Kurt replied, "This isn't the first time this has happened, you know"

"Well, what happened the first time?"

"Santana, as you know, had problems coming to terms with her sexuality," Kurt said, "Brittany was at the center of all of it. Santana was hopelessly in love with Brittany and Brittany with Santana. But…it took her ages to get over her fear of being gay. It nearly drove them apart. I remember the look on Santana's face when she sang with Brittany in glee club. It was heartbreaking. She was…so…"

"Vulnerable…"Rachel continued

"Exactly," Kurt nodded.

" I couldn't see it at first, actually, but…I saw them in the corridors later that day. I wanted to run ideas about regionals with Santana after I was deeply moved of their performance when I overheard them talking. Santana admitted her love for Brittany and wanted her to dump Artie. Brittany—"

"Wait, what?! Santana wanted Brittany to dump Artie?"

"Yeah, that's what I just said, Kurt… I don't—"

"She didn't come out to us til the next school year, Rachel," Kurt said

"I know. I was there, remember?" Rachel replied, "What's your point?"

"The point is Santana made Brittany wait for so long…"

"But…"

"You do know if Brittany finds out about Santana and Sarah, it will crush her, right?"

"I don't know… I mean…"

"Do you remember Karofsky? Remember the look on Britt's face when Santana told everyone she was with Karofsky?"

"Complete and utter sadness. It was terrible," Rachel nodded.

"So…you guys have absolutely no plans of telling Santana about Brittany?" Adam said.

"Nope, and you can't tell her either," Kurt replied.

"Exactly. I was talking to Santana recently and that woman is in no place to handle the emotional baggage that comes with having Brittany in the same city," Rachel added.

"Quite a nasty business though…what happened between them, I mean," Adam sighed.

"They're both just so afraid of what they have," Kurt said.

"But they're in love," Adam said, "It shouldn't have to be so hard"

"A love as great as theirs," Rachel began, "It could either be the most wonderful thing they'll ever experience or a beautiful mess,"

* * *

In the seven months Santana had been in New York, she spent a good chunk of her time with Sarah. Despite the heartfelt confession from the red head, Santana couldn't bring herself to be with Sarah other than on a physical level. It was either they were tearing each other's clothes off and it seemed like they couldn't get enough of each other or they were acting like they didn't know each other at all. Well, at least on Santana's part. Sarah was adamant to get through to the Latina. It'd been months and she was sure Santana had moved on from Brittany.

"Santana, it's early," Sarah yawned, "Where are you going?"

"I have to get home. I have class in a couple hours," Santana replied, "Go back to sleep"

"This is why you should just leave some clothes here," Sarah said, "This way you wouldn't have to leave this early."

Sarah sat up, covered in nothing but sheets, and wrapped her arms around Santana's waist pulling the girl closer to her. Santana closed her eyes and let out a defeated sigh. Sarah brushed away Santana's hair and kissed the exposed skin of the girl's neck, missing her pulse point by an inch.

_'Almost but not quite' Santana thought to herself_

Santana mentally kicked herself for thinking that. She melted further in to Sarah's touch, allowing herself to feel the sensation of the girl's ministrations. Sarah, on the other hand, grew more confident with her actions: kissing and sucking harder, leaving her mark on Santana's skin. Try as she did, Santana couldn't bring herself to feel aroused by the other girl's actions.

' _She still doesn't know my tells. Too soon, I guess. We just need more time' Santana thought_

_"Brittany never needed any time._ _**She just knew** _ _" a voice in her head said_

Santana opened her eyes and broke free from Sarah's hold.

"Where are you going?" Sarah chuckled.

"Like I said, I have class in a couple hours," Santana sighed.

"Fine," Sarah said, "But just know that I'll be in bed all day thinking about you"

Sarah threw her a seductive look and Santana let out a shaky chuckle before heading out the door.

"Fuck," Santana muttered to herself as she stepped on to the lift.

* * *

After leaving Brittany last Valentine's, Santana managed to convince her parents to let her stay in New York for good. She'd gotten to Juilliard mid-semester after her parents pulled a couple strings. Santana quickly caught up with her classes and managed to get enough credits to move on to her second year on time.

"Hey, Santana, did you hear?" Jillian, one of Santana's classmates, asked.

"Hear about what?"

"Some freshman managed to become a T.A." Jill answered.

"A freshman as a T.A. for Harry? Are you guys shitting me?" Santana scoffed.

"No, we're serious," Carly said, "We heard she's smoking too AND she's bicurious"

Santana let out a laugh. She managed to make some friends during her stay here, all of which were very accepting of her sexuality. As a matter of fact, they'd made it their life's mission to set her up with someone.

"I told you I'm not interested," Santana chuckled.

"Sarah is your fuck buddy. This girl could be your soul mate for all you know," Connor said.

Santana let out a strangled laugh.

They didn't know, of course. About her. She'd gotten close to them rather quickly but Santana wasn't comfortable enough with them to talk to them about Brittany.

"All right, everyone gather up," Harry shouted.

* * *

They all gathered in a semi-circle and listened half-heartedly. Harry was going on and on about the new procedures and the grades and what not. Santana tried her best to stifle a yawn when a familiar scent filled her senses. She fought her way to the front and standing behind Harry was someone she never thought she'd see again. Brittany. Her breathing quickened.

'What was she doing here?' Santana thought

Brittany looked up from the floor and their eyes met. Her heart beat faster and faster. A million memories flashed through her mind. She tried to avert her gaze but she was frozen in place. Santana looked in to those familiar blue orbs and despite the beat of her heart ringing in her ears, she'd never felt more safe. It was like coming home. Everything felt right yet it all felt wrong. The sound of Harry's cane coming down on the hard wood floor broke their longing stare. Santana scrambled to get to position as Brittany pursed her lips, stifling a smile.

About half way through the class, Harry was called out for a faculty meeting leaving Brittany in charge.

"All right, uh, everyone partner up," Brittany said, "We're doing the tango"

Everyone partnered up and began to move to the music. Brittany walked around the room checking up on everyone, or at least it seemed like she was. Santana focused on the dance but she could feel Brittany watching her causing her to fumble midway a switch.

"Stop," Brittany said.

"You, what's your name?" Brittany continued, pointing to Santana's partner.

"I'm Connor?" he answered.

"Well, Connor, you're doing it wrong" Brittany sighed, "Who's top of the class?"

"Santana," everyone answered in unison.

All eyes fell to Santana who kept her eyes on the ground the entire time. Brittany walked towards her and held out her hand. Santana looked up and saw Brittany wearing a familiar grin on her face.

"Why don't we show them how to do it right," Brittany grinned.

Santana wanted nothing more than to run away and curl up on her bed but having everyone look at her made that hard to do. She hesitantly accepted Brittany's hand and followed her to the center of the room.

As soon as their hands touched, a small spark ignited inside of Santana. All those months of meaningless sex, random hook ups suddenly weighed her down. But at the same time, all those lonely nights crying herself to sleep were all forgotten.

Brittany was here. Brittany was holding her hand.

Santana took a deep breath and followed Brittany's lead. They kept it simple, the moves were reminiscent of their dance from glee club. Brittany had choreographed it, with Santana's help, of course. Santana dared to look up at Brittany and their eyes met. They were thinking of the same thing. They were thinking of that night they'd rehearsed the tango for Survivor in Brittany's home studio and ended up making love.

* * *

_"Britt, the dance is fine. Can we please rest now?" Santana breathed out._

" _But San, it needs to be perfect. What if we don't win because my choreography is ugly?" Brittany pouted._

" _Babe, it is perfect. You're the best dancer/choreographer in all of Ohio, maybe even the country," Santana said, "The judges are gonna have to be idiots to think any thing you do is ugly"_

" _San, one more time, please?" Brittany said._

_Santana let out a sigh and shook her head. She took one look at her girlfriend's pouting face and knew it was pointless to argue._

_After two more times, Santana and Brittany went up to the blonde's room to rest. Santana immediately fell flat on Brittany's bed and tried to ignore her aching muscles. She looked up and saw Brittany taking her clothes off. A pang of arousal hit her and she instinctively closed her legs._

_"Britt, what are you doing?" Santana asked shakily._

" _I'm gonna take bath. You know how much I hate sleeping all sweaty and sticky"_

_Brittany entered the bathroom leaving the door slightly open. Santana sat up and walked over to close the door properly but as soon as she saw Brittany's naked back, her arousal took the better of her. Santana quickly discarded her clothes and joined her lover in the shower, wrapping her arms around Brittany's waist. Santana left a trail of kisses down the blonde's neck stopping at a pulse point, sucking on it hard making Brittany moan in approval._

_"I thought you were tired," Brittany said softly._

_"Mhmm…thought you could use the help," Santana whispered against her skin._

_Brittany turned around capturing Santana's lips in to a heated kiss. They stumbled backwards until they hit the wall. Brittany took hold of both Santana's hands and kept their hands intertwined above their heads. She made a trail of kisses across Santana's jaw line down to her collarbone. Santana parted her legs slightly giving Brittany enough room to slip her leg in between creating the much needed friction to ease some of Santana's arousal._

_"Fuck, Britt" Santana moaned as Brittany continued to rock in to her._

_Santana closed her eyes and her hands found themselves tangled in blonde locks. She could feel Brittany's arousal dripping down her thighs despite the water from the shower._

_"Baby…Britt…Britt" Santana panted, "I… I need you"_

_"Where do you want me, San?" Brittany whispered_

_Brittany's hand cupped one of the Latina's breasts and gently massaged it, occasionally flicking the girl's swollen nub. Brittany rocked harder in to Santana and continued her assault on the girl's neck._

_"Stop teasing, Britt," Santana breathed out._

_Brittany brought her hand down to Santana's center, sliding a finger up and down the smaller girl's folds._

" _You're so wet, San," Brittany moaned, playfully biting the other girl's ear, "I bet I could just slip right in"_

_Santana let out a strangled moan and whimpered beneath Brittany's touch. Brittany brought her hand up to their faces and Santana took the soaked finger in her mouth, licking it clean._

_"Well, aren't you a little slut tasting yourself on my fingers?" Brittany said._

_Santana moaned in response. To the rest of the world, Brittany was this innocent girl who never knew better but to Santana, Brittany was always the more dominant one in bed. And despite her strong persona, Santana loved it when Brittany took control of their sex marathons. It turned her on even more and this was something the blonde always used to her advantage._

_"I bet you'd love it even more if I were the one tasting you," Brittany said_

_Brittany dropped her hand down and began rubbing circles on the brunette's swollen clit. Santana closed her eyes and tried to even out her breathing. She was so close to the edge and Brittany hadn't even been inside her._

" _Do you want me to eat you out, San? Do you want to ride my face?" Brittany continued, applying more pressure to Santana's clit._

" _Yes," Santana moaned._

_Santana arched her back pressing her center on to Brittany's hand. Brittany pulled back with a confused look when she felt a gush of liquid cover her hand._

_"Fuck, Britt," Santana panted._

_Brittany's eyes widen as Santana came down from her high. Renewed arousal crept between her thighs and Brittany pulled back her hand, licking Santana's juices off her fingers._

_"I can't believe you came without me," Brittany said firmly._

_Santana opened her eyes and saw Brittany's eyes clouded with lust._

_"Uh…Britt…" Santana said shakily, still feeling the after effects of her orgasm._

_"Get on your knees, Santana," Brittany said_

_Santana quickly dropped to her knees and lightly brushed her fingers up and down the blonde's legs._

_"No more teasing, Santana," Brittany said._

_Santana let out a chuckle and leaned forward, sticking her tongue out and licking Brittany with one motion._

_"So good, San…" Brittany moaned._

_Brittany's hands dropped to Santana's head, pushing the smaller girl against her center._

_"Just fucking eat me out, Santana," Brittany said._

_"Always so demanding," Santana whispered against Brittany's folds._

_Before Brittany could respond, Santana stuck her tongue all the way making Brittany's weaken. Santana's hands immediately flew up to Brittany's waist, steadying the blonde._

" _Fuck, yes," Brittany gasped, "Right there, San. God, you're so fucking good at this,"_

_Brittany pushed Santana flat on her ass and switched positions so that Santana could go in deeper._

_"YES! SO CLOSE, BABY," Brittany screamed._

_At this point, Brittany was riding Santana's face as the brunette's tongue expertly made its way in and out of the blonde. With each thrust, Brittany's clit would hit Santana's nose pushing the blonde closer and closer to the edge. Santana, on the other hand, easily got aroused by the sight unfolding above her. Brittany's eyes were clenched shut as she arched further in to Santana who hands wandered to her own center._

_"Oh God, Santana, faster, shit," Brittany breathed out._

_Brittany opened her eyes and looked down at Santana whose fingers were quickly going in and out of her vagina. Brittany let out a low chuckle and started playing with her nipples._

" _You're such a slut, San…" Brittany said, "Fucking yourself while I ride you. I bet you're so wet right now having me fuck your face"_

_Santana moaned in approval as Brittany's became more erratic._

_"Fuck, Santana!" Brittany screamed._

_Before she knew it, Santana's senses were filled with Brittany's essence sending her over the edge. Brittany continued to rock in to Santana as she rode out her high._

_After a couple minutes, Brittany leaned back against the wall and pulled Santana up. Santana leaned in for a kiss and Brittany hummed in satisfaction after their sexual tryst._

_"I am never gonna get over tasting myself on you," Brittany said._

_"Mhmm…you taste amazing," Santana repied._

_"You taste better though,"_

_"On that note, babe, we'll agree to disagree," Santana chuckled._

_"So, shower?"_

* * *

The music ended just as the bell rang. Santana broke out her daydream and realized that Brittany's hands were still on her waist. She locked eyes with the blonde and just as the Brittany was about to open her mouth, Santana quickly broke contact and got out of the classroom.

* * *

"Whoo, that was some sexual tension, Santana," Jill said as she stepped beside the Latina.

"Totally. The new T.A. totally wants all up in you," Carly teased.

"Shut up. She wasn't. It was just a dance," Santana answered.

"Keep telling yourself that, Tana," Jill said.

"Whatever," Santana muttered, "So we still up for Saturday?" she said a little louder this time.

"Totally! Party all night long, baby!" Connor shouted.

* * *

Santana waved goodbye to her friends and went to her next class. She'd managed to avoid Brittany the entire day but even then, the blonde was never too far from her thoughts. Santana played back the image of the blonde right before she pulled away…

_'Were we thinking of the same thing?' Santana thought_

Before she could ponder any further, her phone buzzed.

**Drop by my place later. I've got a surprise for you.**

**XO,**

**Sarah**

Santana opened the attached picture that showed Sarah in a seductive pose wearing skimpy lingerie. Santana immediately deleted the picture and sent out a quick text.

_**Ugh, would love to but Rachel drama. Rain check on this one.** _

* * *

Santana let out a deep sigh and tried to focus on her lunch. She toyed around with her salad, taking a few bites every now and then but she was in no mood to eat. She looked up and from the corner of her eye, she saw Brittany animatedly chatting with someone. Santana stood up to throw her trash while simultaneously looking at the blonde's direction. Brittany was with another girl. They were talking about God knows what but none of it mattered. Santana was pissed. It was obvious the girl liked Brittany. She was way too touchy and laughed a little too much at whatever Brittany was saying. Brittany looked her way and Santana immediately turned around and walked back to her table.

Her mind kept replaying to her encounter with Brittany a while ago. She felt something revive inside of her. The way Brittany touched her made her heart jump as it did so many times before. The way her heart flutters whenever she looks in to those blue eyes still feels the same. The quick beating of her heart at the mere thought of Brittany still felt the same. Everything felt the same with the blonde but Santana knew that things have never been more different. She had Sarah and Brittany…Brittany had Sam or whoever this new girl was. Things were different. They weren't in high school anymore, they were adults now. So much has happened between them as a couple…to them as individuals.

" _Can they still work together? Does Brittany still want to work on them? Do I?" Santana thought as she watched the blonde disappear in the sea of people._


End file.
